Bad Boys
by Cat87
Summary: Spencer and Tony have both suffered a severe work-related trauma and are currently living with their bosses. They meet in a daycare for adults and become friends. Warnings: Infantilism, spanking, sexual abuse. Reid-centric.
1. Chapter 1

AN: So here's a new story that is actually a roleplay between myself and namanKAL. This is definitely not a story for everybody, as the subject matter is unusual. Characters will be OOC at times and warnings include: infantilism, spanking of adults and later, sexual abuse (nothing graphic), mention of sexual abuse of a child. If these elements offend you, you should not read it. This is a work of fiction and is in no way realistic. English is not our first language. Well, here goes...

Bad Boys

By Catlady87 and Kalnaman

"_Bad boys bad boys  
Watcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do  
When they come for you  
Bad boys, bad boys  
Watcha gonna do, watcha gonna do  
When they come for you" (Bob Marley)_

Spencer sat down on the floor having a tantrum; he screamed loudly, "I don't want to go to the stupid adult daycare! I want to go with you to work and catch the bad guys!"  
Hotch pinched the bridge of his nose. "Spencer, we talked about this. You are not well enough to go to work yet. The daycare will be good for you. You need to see other people. Stop this now". Hotch glared at him. Spencer wrapped his arms around himself in a protesting way and he shook his head wildly. "No!"  
Hotch leveled him with a stern look. "Do you want a spanking before your first day has even started?"  
Spencer crawled away, as he wasn't able to walk very well yet since his accident. He hoped he would be able to escape Hotch and make it to his playroom and close the door before Hotch was able to catch him. No way did he want to start in that stupid daycare.  
Hotch went after Spencer and picked him up right before he reached the playroom. He smacked his backside twice. "Are you ready to stop this now?" He looked at him firmly, holding him by his arms.  
"Ow!" Spencer started to cry, "I don't want to go to the daycare."  
Hotch sighed. "I'm not sending you there to make you sad. It will be nice for you to see some other people in your own situation".

Spencer sniffed. "I hate this. I want to be normal again."

Hotch tucked a strand of Spencer's hair behind his ear. "I know. And you didn't deserve to have any of this happen to you, but it did, and I am just trying to make sure you are okay". He lifted Spencer and settled him on his hip, rocking him gently, Spencer clinging to him with long limbs. "Let's get going, okay?"

Spencer nodded sadly. He then looked thoughtful. "Can I watch Star Trek when we get back home?" Spencer asked hopefully. Hotch nodded. "If you behave, and eat your dinner first". He picked up the pre-packed diaper bag from the couch and carried Spencer back to the hall where he sat him on a chair, quickly putting a coat on him and carrying him outside to the car. He buckled Spencer in and started the engine.

oOo

Gibbs let out a sigh. He and Tony had had a fight, and Gibbs was of course the one who won. He looked in the rearview mirror. He could see Tony pouting, though not without squirming in his seat. Tony had had a major tantrum because he didn't want to go to the daycare center for traumatized adults. It only resulted in Tony getting a sore backside.

Tony noticed Gibbs watching him in the rearview mirror. He was really pissed that he had to go to that stupid kindergarten or whatever it was that Gibbs had signed him up for. He stuck his tongue out at the man, momentarily wincing as the pain in his backside reminded him that it was a bad idea to anger Gibbs. "You suck," he stated anyway.

Gibbs looked firmly at him in the rearview mirror. "You'd better start behaving. Or I promise you; you will have an even sorer backside before the end of the day!"  
Tony rolled his eyes. "I didn't do anything, so chill." He figured he could probably slip out of the daycare unseen as soon as Gibbs had left. The man may be his boss, but he had no right to treat him like this.  
"I'm not deaf or blind. Your tongue isn't beautiful, so I advise you to keep it in your mouth."  
Tony pouted angrily. The old guy was really grating on his nerves. His mood got even worse when they pulled into a parking lot in front of a big white building. So this must be it, he thought, cringing internally at the 'happy' colors of the door and windows.  
Gibbs parked the car; he looked over at Tony, and said:"We're here. You'd better behave while in daycare or I promise there will be consequences."  
Tony unbuckled his seatbelt, ignoring Gibbs. He tried to open the door, but it was locked. "Let me out," he demanded. Gibbs went out and opened the door to Tony's seat. "Come on, let's go."  
Tony got out of the car and brushed past Gibbs, scowl firmly in place. "I don't want to go," he said, barely noticing it when he stomped his foot. Gibbs looked firmly at him. "You'd better stop this right now! Or I promise you, I will spank you right here and now!" Gibbs then wrapped his right hand around Tony left arm. He dragged him to the trunk and took out the diaper bag.  
To his annoyance, Tony felt tears prickling at the corners of his eyes. He was so sick of feeling like this - crying like a stupid kid every two seconds. He wiped at his eyes angrily. "Don't wanna go, please boss," he cried as he was pulled towards the entrance. Gibbs stopped and let out a sigh. He hugged Tony. "I know. But you can't stay home alone while I'm at work. You know that."  
"Why not? I could watch movies until you get back. And make dinner," he added hopefully.  
"Do you remember what happened last time you wanted to surprise me with dinner? My house almost burned down."

Tony pouted. "It wasn't that bad..." It had just smoked a bit. Nothing dangerous.  
Gibbs shook his head. "I had to get a new kitchen as the fire destroyed it. And the fact that you can't see how bad that was only proves to me that you're not well enough to take care of yourself. It would be too dangerous for you," Gibbs said and then dragged Tony to the entrance of the daycare. Before they went inside he could hear a commotion at the parking lot as another young man wasn't happy about attending the daycare and being placed in a wheelchair.

"I don't want to be in this stupid daycare or this stupid wheelchair! It reminds me too much of a stroller!" Spencer said while trying to get out of the chair.

Hotch pushed him back into the wheelchair. "Stop it, Spencer; you could hurt yourself! And the daycare is not up for discussion, I thought I'd made that clear earlier". He pushed him toward the entrance.  
"I've changed my mind, this place looks too scary."  
Hotch sighed. "It does not. Now behave yourself!" He pushed the wheelchair through the door and smiled at a man dragging a younger, rather reluctant-looking man behind him.  
"Your charge also giving you a hard time?" Gibbs asked the dark haired man that had had the argument with the young man in the wheelchair. Spencer just pouted.  
Hotch smiled exasperatedly. "Yes, he is quite a handful. Your first day too?"  
Gibbs nodded. "Yes, it is." Gibbs gave the man his hand. "I'm Leroy Jethro Gibbs."  
"SSA Aaron Hotchner."Hotch shook his hand firmly.  
Gibbs raised his eyebrows. "Special Agent? In which field?"  
"The Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI," he answered. "Spencer here works with me", he ruffled his hair, "but then Spencer had an accident a month ago, and well, here we are," he finished, grimacing slightly at the memory.

Tony eyed the kid disdainfully. FBI? Seriously?  
Spencer noticed the look the other young man gave him and he looked shyly down at his lap.  
"I'm a Special Agent with the NCIS. And Tony here is my Senior Field Agent, and he also had an accident about a month ago so that's also the reason why we're here."  
Hotch's eyebrows went up. "Really? It seems the boys are in very similar situations. Did you hear that, Spencer?" he unconsciously smoothed Spencer's hair.

Tony scoffed at the way Hotch babied the kid. Spencer nodded shyly, not daring to look up at the two strangers.  
"The two of you can play together," Hotch suggested, looking at Tony.

Tony eyed the kid. "Sure," he said. Spencer looked up at him. 'Did he really want to play with him? No one had really wanted to play with him before,' Spencer thought. Tony almost felt bad for the kid. He did look a little helpless.

Hotch looked around the daycare, spotting a woman who then approached them.

"Good morning. I'm Mrs. Jason. Welcome to Sunrise Daycare for traumatized adults," she said while looking at the two men she presumed were the guardians of each of the two young men.

She offered them her hand one at a time.  
"Hello, Mrs. Jason, I am Aaron Hotchner. We spoke on the phone. This is Spencer. I hope you'll take good care of him", he said, a little apprehensive about leaving Spencer now that it was drawing close.  
She then looked down at Spencer and shook his hand. "Good morning, Spencer. I'm sure you are going to be happy here. We have a lot of toys you can play with. Your guardian told me that you are very smart, though sadly we probably don't have any books that you'll like. But tomorrow you are allowed to take a few of your own with you, if you want."  
Spencer looked shyly up at her. He was tempted to put his thumb in his mouth for comfort, but since he didn't want Tony to think he was a baby and risk him not wanting to play with him because of it, he didn't. "H-Hi M-Mrs. J-Jason."

She smiled brightly and then looked over at Tony. Gibbs noticed. "This is Tony Dinozzo."  
"Hello there, Tony. I'm sure you're going to be happy here too."  
Tony smiled at her. She seemed nice enough. "Yeah, I guess. I don't really need to be here, but I'll keep Spencer company then".  
"That is good, Tony. And we'll take good care of you and Spencer. Even though you don't need it," she smiled and looked at Gibbs.

Spencer pouted and wrapped his arms around himself. "I don't need to be here either. I can take care of myself too."  
Hotch smiled at him, and rubbed his shoulder. "You know that isn't true, Spencer. Now you be good for Mrs. Jason. I don't want to hear that you've been naughty," he said, a stern expression on his face.  
Spencer's face turned red with embarrassment. "I'm never naughty," Spencer whined. "I'm just working on being more independent again."  
"Right. You need to accept that you need help. Also with your diaper," Hotch said. He turned to Mrs. Jason "You need to check Spencer's diaper regularly. Diapers are in this diaper bag. There's also a pacifier, a bottle and his teddy bear. He'll need those if he gets tired or sad. He needs a nap at some point. If anything, anything at all comes up, you need to call me and I'll be here right away, or send Penelope Garcia, if I am unavailable. Do you have any questions?" he said seriously.

Tony looked at the guy with wide eyes. Maybe it could get worse than Gibbs. This guy was like a freaking mama-bear. He almost felt bad for Mrs. Jason, being at the receiving end of that dude's freaky glare.  
Spencer wanted to dig a deep hole and bury himself in it and never come back out. This was so embarrassing; now he was sure Tony didn't want to play with him, being such a baby.

"For his safety I need to know which persons other than Penelope Garcia are allowed to pick him up when you can't. Are there any?"

Tony noticed the kid looking uncomfortable and embarrassed. He decided to distract him. "Hey, wanna go look at the Star Wars legos?" he asked.  
Spencer face lit up. "I love Star Wars! So yes, I'd like to!" Spencer stood up and tottered along pretty much like a baby that'd just learned to walk. Tony resisted the urge to support Spencer, and walked beside him toward the table with legos.

Hotch nodded. "Derek Morgan, Emily Prentiss, Jennifer Jareau and David Rossi. I will write you a list. You can't let anyone take him unless they have ID, and Spencer is not, under ANY circumstances to leave with someone not on the list. Clear?" he said.

She nodded. "Of course. We have a strict policy to this anyway. And none of our charges are allowed to leave here on their own or with their fellow playmates without supervision from our staff."

Hotch nodded, satisfied. "I'll go say goodbye to Spencer then. I'll pick him up at five," he said walking to Spencer.  
She then turned her attention to Gibbs. "So Agent Gibbs, who's allowed to pick your charge up when you can't do it?"  
"Dr. Mallard, Special Agent Tim McGee, Abby Scuito, Jimmy Palmer and Ziva David. I'll also write a list for you. And no one else is allowed to pick him up and not without showing their ID either."  
He then gave her Tony's diaper bag. "He'll need changing regularly as well. And he'll need a nap too. Be warned Tony can be a handful. I advise you to use discipline. I don't mind if you use spanking as long as he really deserves it." With that he went to Tony to say goodbye.

Hotch watched Spencer playing for a few minutes, and then put his hand on his arm. "I'm leaving now Spencer, so be a good boy until I get back, okay?" he said, a soft look in his eyes.  
Tony could see tears welling up in the kid's eyes. He hoped he wasn't gonna cry now. Tony wouldn't cry just because Gibbs was leaving, he thought smugly.  
Spencer had a hard time not to start crying. He didn't want Tony thinking he was a crybaby. He gave Hotch a small hug and then hurried to play with the legos again in order to distract himself.  
Gibbs laid a hand on Tony's shoulder. "I'm going now Tony. Be a good boy now or you know what will happen when we get back home. I'll be back as a soon as I can."  
Toney blushed. "Gibbs!" He didn't like the veiled threat one bit, and was afraid that Spencer or Agent Hotchner would be able to figure out what he meant. "Bye," he said.

Hotch left the daycare, feeling bad about leaving Spencer there. He just wanted this day to be over, so he could pick him up again. The boy had looked so sad to be left there that Hotch almost turned around and brought him home with him, regardless of who was waiting for him at the BAU. It was only the fact that Spencer actually seemed to like Tony that kept him from doing it. He wouldn't have been able to leave Spencer if he'd been totally miserable, no matter what the consequences would be.  
Gibbs then went outside and noticed Hotch's sad expression. "They're going to be okay. It looks like a good daycare. Don't worry, Agent Hotchner."  
Hotch sighed. "I know. He just seems so young in this state. He's always been a kid to me, but after the accident he's become _my_ kid, you know. It feels like leaving your baby with a bunch of strangers."  
"Yeah, I know the feeling. Tony's always acted like a rebellious teenager and now it's even worse, and from time to time he's in toddler-mode ever since the accident. That's why I can't risk him being on his own. I've always felt Tony was my son, but now the feeling is stronger."  
Hotch nodded in understanding. "I know what you mean. We should get together for a cup of coffee sometime. It'd be good for the boys too," he suggested.  
"That's sounds good; I'm always good for coffee. And yes, it would be good for the boys, though no coffee for Tony; he'll only enter a much worse toddler-mode with caffeine."  
Hotch eyes widened. "Spencer can have milk. I don't even want to imagine him and coffee now".  
Gibbs laughed. He then looked at his watch. "I'd better get going." He pulled out a piece of paper and a pen and wrote something down and then gave it to Hotch. "Here's my phone number. We can arrange a playdate for the boys, or whatever it's called."  
Hotch thanked the man, and handed him his business card, after writing down his personal number on the back of it. "Sure, Spencer would love that. He needs to see other people more". Hotch shook Gibbs' hand and got into his car. Time to go to work.


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's the next chapter.**

"This really sucks, doesn't it, Tony? They can be so annoying. They think that they need to protect us, even from ourselves." Spencer said sadly.  
Tony nodded emphatically. "Gibbs won't let me go anywhere on my own. It is completely ridiculous. I can handle myself; I don't need some kind of babysitter."  
"Me neither." Spencer let out a sigh.  
"You know, we should leave this joint. It'd serve them right. Teach them not to treat us like kids. I reckon we could sneak out, if we plan it first," Tony suggested, a mischievous smirk on his face. Spencer looked thoughtful. "I think it would be best to stay, or we'll just end up in big trouble."  
"Nah... Only if we get caught." Tony clapped Spencer on the back. "Besides, that Hotchner guy looks like he adores you. How much trouble will you be in, honestly? It's not like he's Gibbs!"  
"He does spank me when I do something dangerous or when I'm having a tantrum," Spencer said while looking shyly down at his lap. "And besides he promised that I can watch Star Trek this evening if I behave."  
Tony's eyes widened. "Really, he spanks you? Well, Gibbs does that to me too. You afraid of getting caught?" he teased. Spencer nodded shyly.  
"Baby," Tony teased lightly. Spencer looked up at that, "I-I'm not a b-baby." He whined.  
Tony smirked. He had the kid now. "Then prove it," he said.  
"P-prove it how?" Spencer asked worried. He didn't like where this was going.  
"Let's run away together", he challenged.  
Spencer gulped; he was afraid that was going to happen. "O-okay, b-but how?"  
"You distract Mrs. Jason, while I check out escape routes".  
Spencer gulped once again and nodded. "O-okay. Now?"  
Tony nodded. "Mrs. Jason! Spencer needs to be changed", he called, winking at Spencer.  
Spencer's face turned red. Actually he really did need to be changed, but he didn't like the idea of a stranger changing him.

Mrs. Jason went to Spencer and helped him up, took his hand and walked him to the changing room. She asked him to climb up on the changing table and then she started to change him. All the while Spencer hid his face in his hands. He was so embarrassed.

Tony snuck out to check the door. It was locked. He checked the windows too. Also locked. He found a small room with cleaning supplies. He broke the lock on that door easily. There was a window in there that opened just enough for him and Spencer to get out. He smirked to himself. Tony then snuck back to find Spencer's wheelchair. He collapsed it, dumped it outside and closed the window. By the time he got back to the main room, Spencer was sitting on the floor, red-faced.

"Hi Tony, did you find a way?" Spencer whispered.  
"I did. In the supply room; we can get out through the window. I put your wheelchair out there. So are you in?" Tony asked. This was exciting.  
Spencer was reluctant, but then he remembered that the new Star Trek movie was playing at the cinema. "Can we go to the movies and watch the new Star Trek movie? I would love to. It sounds like a great movie," he asked hopefully. Then if they got caught afterwards, he'd still have seen Star Trek, so the consequences of not being allowed to watch it this evening didn't matter.  
Tony nodded. "Sure, sounds a bit nerdy, but I like most movies".  
Spencer smiled brightly. "Cool!"  
Tony smiled back. "We just need to create a diversion then. Any ideas?"  
Spencer thought carefully and then looked around the playroom. When another charge of the daycare looked away, Spencer stole his cookie and hurried to eat it and went away from the table. When the boy looked back and saw the cookie was gone he started to wail. "Where's my cookie? I want my cookie!" The staff hurried to him and comforted him.  
Tony grabbed Spencer's arm. "Great idea, kid. Come on". They hurried to the supply room and crawled out. Tony fixed the wheelchair and helped Spencer into it. They raced away from the building. "Freedom at last!" Tony shouted happily.  
Spencer was happy to leave the stupid daycare, but he was worried what Hotch would do and even Morgan, his 'big brother'. He wouldn't be happy either if they found out about this. But one thing he was sure of was that he wouldn't sit comfortably for quite awhile if they actually did find out.  
Tony was too ecstatic to be out on his own to acknowledge the nagging voice in the back of his head saying that Gibbs would kill him if he found out. "Where's the cinema?" he asked Spencer. Spencer told him the way. He was really looking forward to seeing that movie after hearing so much about it.

oOo

Hotch was in his office, working on a report. It was a slow day. The phone rang suddenly. "Hotchner here," he answered. The distressed woman on the other end sniffled.  
"Here's Mrs. Jason. I-I'm so sorry to inform you that Spencer is missing."  
Hotch's heart jumped into his throat. "What? What do you mean he's missing?"  
"We were busy with another charge who was in distress, and when we looked back Spencer and the other new young man were gone. We've searched the whole place, but sadly we can't find them. I'm so sorry. This has never happened before."  
Hotch was sweating. "I'll be right there. Will you call Gibbs?"  
"I've already called him; he's on his way."  
Hotch hung up and ran into the bullpen. Most of the others had gone to lunch, but Morgan was sitting there. "Spencer is missing. I need you to come looking for him".

Morgan jumped up from his seat. "What? How did that happen? They should have watched him better!"  
Hotch shook his head. "I don't know Morgan. It appears that he left with an NCIS agent. Maybe they just snuck out," he said hopefully.  
"NCIS Agent? Why would he sneak out with an FBI agent with disabilities? What is he up to?"  
"He has problems of his own. Acts more like a toddler really. Let's go". They drove to the daycare center, well above the speed limit. They met Gibbs there.  
Morgan shook his head. "That kid; he's such a trouble magnet. If it turns out he's run away, he'll be one sorry little boy!" Morgan said.  
Hotch shook Gibbs' hand. "Any idea where they could be?" he asked.  
"No, sadly not, but my team is looking everywhere they can think of. Anthony is going to be one sorry little boy when I find him. I know Tony, and he's definitely the brain behind this crazy stunt."  
Hotch was somewhat relieved that Gibbs seemed to think they'd run away, but also furious with Spencer for doing it.  
"I'm sure they ran away, since Spencer's wheelchair is missing. A window was open in the storage room and it's the only way they could have gotten out. There's no sign of blood or anything."  
Hotch felt himself getting angrier. "That boy is in SO much trouble. I was going to let him watch Star Trek too, well he can just forget about that now," he said crossly.  
"That he is," Morgan said irritated.


	3. Chapter 3

**On a roll. Here's the next chapter. We have enabled anonymous reviews now ;) **

Tony was surprised to find that he enjoyed the movie. They had eaten a lot of popcorn. Spencer kept telling him trivia about the movie, and people were shushing them.  
Spencer wasn't disappointed in this movie one bit. This was a great alternative story to the original one.  
When the movie was done, Tony turned to Spencer. "Where do you wanna go now?" he asked excitedly.  
"I don't know. It's been so long since I've been able to go out like this. Do you have any ideas?"  
"We could go to the shooting range", he said, eyes shining.  
"Ohh, yeah. I need to practice anyway. Before the accident happened I sadly failed the firearms qualification."  
"Oh, I'll help you!"

oOo

When they got to the shooting range, they showed their ID's and were given a gun each. Tony watched Spencer struggling with the safety on the gun. Spencer turned the gun so it was pointing at his head. "Why can't I remember how this works?"  
Tony took the gun from and helped him. "There you go!"  
"Thank you."

oOo

Hotch called Garcia. "Hey, can you trace Spencer's credit card? I need to know if he's used it. He's run off with one of the other boys from the daycare center".

Garcia was very worried, but called back with the information five minutes later. It turned out his card had been used at the cinema, and more recently at the shooting range. Hotch told this to Gibbs, worry weighing down on his heart.  
Gibbs was very worried too. He was afraid that Tony would go into toddler mode while using a loaded gun and that would be very bad; very, very bad.  
They all climbed into the SUV Hotch had come in, and drove to the shooting range. The man working there recognized the description of the two agents, and pointed them in the right direction. Hotch's heart nearly stopped when he saw Spencer.  
Spencer once again held the gun turned toward his face, but this time the safety was off.  
Tony spotted Gibbs and the others. He smiled nervously, and waved at them with the hand holding the gun.

"Spencer," Hotch said carefully. "Give me the gun". He kept his voice gentle to avoid startling him. Spencer didn't dare disobey Hotch; he was in enough trouble as it was, so he did give the gun to Hotch. "Hi Hotch. What are you doing here?"  
As soon as he had the gun, Hotch's expression turned livid. "What am I doing here? What are you doing here, young man?" He handed the gun over to Morgan and grabbed Spencer's arm so tightly it almost hurt.

Tony put down his gun and tried to sneak off. This was not good. Unluckily for him, Gibbs was faster. "Not so fast, young man. You, Anthony, are in so much trouble."

"I-I... Tony and I just wanted to have some fun, instead of being in the stupid daycare..." Spencer said.  
"Fun? You could have been killed Spencer!" Hotch shouted. Then he regained his control. "You and I are going to have a very serious talk about this".

Tony gulped. "But, Boss, I didn't really do anything! I have a license to carry a weapon!" he tried desperately.

"You had one before the accident. You'll need to qualify again as soon as you're back 100 percent, but you aren't now!"

Tony hung his head. He knew that, he'd just hoped Gibbs didn't.

"Please, Hotch. I'm sorry," Spencer said with puppy dog eyes. "Nothing happened."  
Hotch started carrying Spencer back to the SUV. Morgan trailed after with the wheelchair. Hotch shoved him into the backseat and buckled him in. "Morgan, you keep an eye on him while I'm driving," he said, staring at Spencer sternly.  
"I won't let him out of my sight. So don't worry."

Hotch gave Gibbs and Tony a lift back to the daycare. He then drove home. "Morgan, will you make some food while I deal with Spencer?" he asked.  
"Sure, will do." Morgan said and went to the kitchen, while he was happy he was not in Spencer's shoes.

When he carried Spencer to his room, Hotch stopped in the kitchen. "Morgan? Maybe a bottle too," he said, nodding his head discreetly at Spencer in his arms.

Morgan nodded and then went to work on the task.

Once in Spencer's room, Hotch placed the boy on his bed. He looked sternly down at him. "I am very disappointed in you, Spencer. I have no doubt you knew that you were breaking the rules today. Care to explain?"

Spencer bit his bottom lip and tears started to well up in his eyes."Tony asked me to go with him, and as I didn't want him to think I was a baby... which I AM NOT... I went with him… and besides I was looking forward to seeing the new Star Trek movie."  
Hotch crossed his arms over his chest. "Had I not already promised you to take you to that movie? And do you honestly think that deliberately breaking the rules will make you seem older and more responsible? Why does it matter what Tony thought? You knew you would be in trouble, and chose to do it anyway."  
Spencer sniffled. "I-I just w-wanted to be accepted for once, i-instead of being bullied."  
Hotch sighed. "I know that. But I also know that you know better than breaking the rules like this. You risked your life, and that will never be ok, no matter what Tony or anyone else said. You know I'll have to punish you, Spencer," he said. Spencer started to cry, even though he knew that this would happen. "I-I'm sorry! Please don't spank me!"  
Hotch sat down next to him. "You won't get out of this, Spencer. Come on. The pants are coming down this time." He pulled Spencer to his feet.  
"No! Not bare, please!"  
Hotch looked into his eyes. "Yes, Spencer. Risking your own life and worrying me like that means a bare spanking". He pulled his pants down and unfastened the diaper too. He carefully pulled him over his lap and adjusted him, holding him with one arm, as he raised the other and smacked his backside.  
"OW! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Please stop!" Spencer said while kicking and screaming, as he tried to avoid the spanking by placing his hand on his backside. Hotch removed the hand.  
"Spencer, stop kicking! You are getting a spanking, so stop fighting it or it'll only be worse," Hotch said, spanking harder now. Spencer's backside was turning bright pink, and Hotch winced internally. He really didn't like hurting the boy, but a sore backside was better than him ending up dead because of his disobedience. Spencer stopped kicking and screaming. Now he just cried whole-heartedly. He was so exhausted and it was past his nap time.  
Hotch could hear that Spencer had had enough now. He gave him five more swats; the hardest of the lot, and stopped. He turned Spencer over and held him tight. "Shh, baby, it's over," he said and kissed Spencer's hair. Spencer winced. His backside hurt like hell. He kept crying, and he put his thumb in his mouth while he rubbed his sleepy eyes with the other hand.  
Hotch had to calm himself down too. He had only done what needed to be done. He rocked Spencer for a while, then got up and placed Spencer on the bed. He proceeded to put a new diaper on Spencer, and turned to the door calling out: "Morgan!"  
Morgan went to Hotch and handed him the bottle. Hotch pulled Spencer back onto his lap, and placed the nipple of the bottle between his lips. Spencer started to suckle greedily. Hotch rocked him and murmured comforting nonsense. Before the bottle was even empty, Spencer was asleep. He put him under the covers and tucked him in, putting up the rail on the bed, so he wouldn't fall out. "Sleep tight, buddy," he whispered, and joined Morgan in the kitchen. He sat down on a chair and gratefully accepted the cup of coffee that was handed to him. "I'll never get used to that", he said to Morgan.  
"You mean the spanking?"  
"Yes. I don't like making him cry. But he needs to learn. I did the right thing?" It came out more like a question. Morgan let out a sigh. "Yeah, I know it's hard. I don't like making him cry either. But you did the RIGHT thing. Better a sore-butt-Spencer than a dead one."  
Hotch sighed. "I know; you're right. He's just so young. Well, not really, but after his accident he seems very young. But I should probably have started spanking him earlier. Maybe there wouldn't have been an accident then. He's been getting into trouble for years now."  
Morgan nodded in agreement. "You and me both needed to have done that. We were too easy on him."  
"Yeah. Maybe getting a spanking is not really 'learning the hard way'. Going through an addiction all on his own was, though".  
"It taught us a lesson; to keep him in line in a firmer way."  
"I guess," Hotch sighed.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks to the reviewers. Here's the next chapter ;)**

The ride back to Gibbs' place was pretty much silent. Pretty much excruciating too. Tony looked out the window, squirming in his seat.  
Finally at home, Gibbs dragged Tony by the ear into the house.  
"Ow, ow, let go!" Tony cried, trying to wrestle his ear out of Gibbs' grip. Gibbs just ignored him and dragged him to his room. He then let go and pushed him down to sit on the bed. "What the hell were you thinking?"  
Tony avoided eye contact. "Nothing. I was just bored. So was Spencer. I just wanted to have some fun with the kid. And nothing happened," he said, crossing his arms over his chest defensively.  
"Nothing happened, because we got there in time! Spencer could have shot himself with the loaded gun!"  
Tony rolled his eyes. "He's an FBI agent. He can handle a gun," he said, not really believing that to be the case, now that he'd given it some thought.  
Gibbs shook his head. "He can, can he? He had a loaded gun pointed at his face and the safety was off. He's very lucky that nothing happened!"  
Tony studied the floor. "I guess..."  
Gibbs thought it was best to get it over with, so he said: "You need to be punished for this one - for your dangerous stunt." He then pulled Tony up and took his seat. "Pants and boxers need to come off!" he said firmly. Tony grabbed hold of said garments. "NO!" he screamed, horrified. He tried to back away from Gibbs. Gibbs was stronger. He pulled the pants and boxers down and then unfastened the diaper.  
"Hey!" Tony slapped at Gibbs' hand, and began crying. That slap only resulted in Tony getting a very hard swat on his unprotected backside. Gibbs then hurried to pull him over his knees and started the hardest spanking he'd ever given Tony.  
"OW! Stop, please! It's too hard! Gibbs!" Tony pleaded, tears streaming down his face.  
"Sorry son, but this needs to be hard, as you really need to learn a lesson here," Gibbs said while he kept on spanking Tony.  
"No... please," Tony cried, grabbing hold of Gibbs' leg. It broke Gibbs heart to hear Tony's pleas, but he knew this needed to be done, so he continued.  
Tony's cries turned into sobbing, and he went limp over Gibbs' lap, still clutching at his leg.  
When Gibbs could hear Tony had had enough he hurried to end the spanking and then got the boy on his lap. He comforted him while rocking him back and forth.  
Part of Tony's mind was screaming at him for acting like a little kid, but a bigger and more overwhelming part just didn't care and wanted to be held by Gibbs forever. He pressed his face into his chest and cried harder. Gibbs just kept comforting him until he calmed down, and then he carried him to the changing table, put a new diaper on Tony and then put a pair of sweatpants on him.  
Tony kept clinging after he'd been changed. "Can we watch a movie together?" he whispered against Gibbs' neck.  
"Not now son, maybe later. It's way past your nap time." He then carried Tony to his bed.  
Tony sniffled. "Stay?" he asked, when Gibbs had placed him on the bed.  
Gibbs smiled. "Of course." Gibbs lay down on the bed and let Tony use him as a pillow. Tony felt better and fell asleep listening to Gibbs' steady heartbeat.  
It didn't take long before Gibbs fell asleep too.

oOo

Spencer wasn't happy at all. He had to go back to the daycare center and worst of all - he had to give Mrs. Jason an apology for running away. "I don't want to go back there," Spencer pouted.  
Hotch set a bowl of porridge in front of him. "You are going back, Spencer. I had hoped you learned you lesson yesterday," he said sternly. Spencer squirmed in his seat. "I don't want to apologize to Mrs. Jason. Tony and I just wanted to show you all that we can take care of ourselves," Spencer whined, while he looked disgusted at the porridge. He hated porridge so much and didn't intend to eat it. Hotch crossed his arms over his chest. "And you think almost getting yourself killed proves to us that you can take care of yourself? You will apologize. And eat your breakfast," he said.  
"You're overreacting." Spencer then crossed his arms too. "I'm not eating this disgusting porridge! Yuck!"  
Hotch sat down next to Spencer and grabbed his spoon, scooping up some of the porridge. "Here, open", he said, lifting the spoon to Spencer's lips. Spencer kept his lips clamped tightly shut and turned his face away from Hotch. Hotch sighed and lowered the spoon. "You are going to eat this. We will stay right here until you decide to cooperate. Or until I lose my patience and decide you need a spanking this early in the morning," he threatened.  
"No! I hate porridge!" Spencer yelled and pushed the plate down on the floor with a loud crash.  
"That is enough, Spencer!" Hotch yelled, grabbing Spencer's arm and pulling him over his lap swiftly. He delivered ten quick smacks to his backside. "You will not throw your food on the floor! Are you ready to behave yourself now?" he scolded, pulling Spencer upright. He held him by his arms and looked into his eyes sternly.  
"Ow! Ow!" Spencer had started to cry. He then looked with puppy dog eyes at Hotch. "I really do hate porridge."  
Hotch sighed again. "What do you want to eat then?"  
Spencer thought carefully. "Cheerios?"

Hotch shook his head. "They're full of sugar; it's not good for you. You can have oatmeal or toast. Which would you prefer?"  
Spencer pouted. "But you always tell me that I'm too thin and that I need more meat on my bones," he whined.  
"Yes, and you do, but I don't need a child with a sugar high and you don't need cavities either. You can have something healthy. If you eat a bowl of oatmeal, you can have a bottle of milk before we leave, how about that?" Hotch suggested, knowing that the comfort of a bottle was one of Spencer's weak points.  
Spencer let out a sigh and nodded in defeat. This was so not fair of Hotch - using his weakness for a bottle of milk, Spencer thought.  
Hotch smiled at him, and fixed him a bowl of oatmeal. He placed the bowl in front of Spencer, and then started warming the milk for his bottle. "Eat," he said, as Spencer was still hesitant.  
Spencer reluctantly started to eat. He really wished he could have had some cheerios instead. That gave him an idea; maybe after the incident yesterday had been forgotten, he could get Tony to help him smuggle some into the house.  
Hotch was satisfied that Spencer was finally eating, and by the time he was done, Hotch screwed the nipple onto the bottle. "Do you want me to feed you?" he asked Spencer. Spencer nodded while smiling happily.

Hotch picked Spencer up and carried him to the living room. He sat down on the couch with Spencer on his lap and his arm around the boy's back. He put the nipple of the bottle in Spencer's mouth, and smiled as he latched on. Spencer suckled enthusiastically and was sad when the bottle was empty. Hotch rubbed his stomach. "There you go. Did you like that?" he asked, rocking Spencer a little. He enjoyed these moments with Spencer.  
Spencer nodded happily. He wished they could stay like this; that Hotch could stay home or at least that he could come with him to the BAU.  
Hotch stroked Spencer's hair. "I have the weekend off. Then we can spend more time together. For now, you have to go to the daycare center, ok?" He got up, still cradling Spencer against his chest and carried him into the hall where he put his coat and shoes on him. He'd already packed the car, and only needed to buckle Spencer in now.  
Spencer was happy he had the weekend off, so he reluctantly let Hotch drive him off to the daycare center.

oOo

"Tony you can't fool me. I know when you're pretending to be in toddler mode to get away with not doing something you don't want to do. You ARE going to apologize to Mrs. Jason and Agent Hotchner for escaping and for dragging Spencer along with you. Now start eating!" Gibbs said firmly. Tony pouted, and grimaced at the food in front of him. "Don't wanna!" he shouted. He grabbed his glass of milk and chucked it at Gibbs, sincerely hoping that he would start believing he was in toddler mode and not get too angry.  
"Looks like you haven't learned your lesson yesterday!" Gibbs said firmly, while pulling Tony off his chair and over his lap and giving him fifteen firm swats. "Now stop this! I know you're just pretending to be in toddler mode!" With that he placed Tony back into his seat.  
It had really hurt, even over the diaper, and Tony wouldn't help but start crying. "I don't wanna go back..." He wasn't hungry anymore at all.  
"I know, but you have to. Now behave and eat your breakfast."  
Tony cried to himself. He felt pretty miserable. He didn't want to apologize, and he didn't want to go back. He ate a little of his breakfast, and pushed the plate away. Gibbs pushed it back. "You need to eat more - well at least half of what's on the plate."  
"No! It's yucky, I'm not eating it. I want pizza. And beer." Tony turned away from the food, arms crossed over his chest.  
"No way are you going to eat pizza in the morning, and you're certainly not going to have any beer while you're in this state. Now eat up!"  
"You can't make me." Tony ran from the table. Gibbs hurried after him and smacked his bottom hard. "Now you'd better eat, or we ARE going to have a discussion in the bedroom again like yesterday!"  
Tony started crying again. He really didn't want another spanking. "Okay", he said, returning to the kitchen. He ate half of what was on his plate, and then leaned back sulking.  
Gibbs ruffled his hair. "Good boy. Do you want a bottle of milk before we go?"  
Tony's eyes lit up. "Can I?" he asked. He knew it was really un-cool, but he liked the bottles.  
Gibbs smiled. "Sure." He got up and got the bottle ready. Tony trailed after Gibbs and watched him fix the bottle.  
When Gibbs had the bottle ready, he took Tony's hand and walked him to the couch in the living room and guided him to sit on his lap.  
Tony snuggled up against Gibbs, feeling much better now. He was happy they were alone. If McGeek ever saw him like this... he cringed inwardly at the thought.  
Gibbs placed the nipple of the bottle in Tony's mouth. Tony began suckling. The milk was nice and warm, and he almost fell asleep, but then the bottle was empty. He whined unhappily.  
"Sorry, kiddo. You can have another one tonight before bedtime," Gibbs said and just sat there with Tony for awhile before they had to go.  
Tony hoped Gibbs had changed his mind about the daycare, but then he started to get up. "Please, can't we just stay here?"  
"No, sorry. I have tons of paperwork I need to get done before my weekend off."  
Tony pouted. "What if that Hotch guy is mad at me?" he asked. He'd been wondering about that. He had gotten Spencer into trouble, and Agent Hotchner didn't really seem like the type to take it lightly.  
"He's probably mad at you, but I'm sure he'll forgive you if you give him a proper apology, and when I mention that you have been punished for it. But don't worry; I won't let him lay a hand on you."  
"Okay", Tony said, whining a bit. He hoped Spencer wasn't mad either.  
Gibbs nodded satisfied, and then he carried Tony to the changing table where he changed him and dressed him in his Magnum t-shirt, which Abby had given him a few days ago, and a pair of jeans.  
"Can we watch a movie tonight?" Tony asked, getting off the changing table. He was walking very slowly towards the door. He really didn't want to go.  
Gibbs helped Tony put on his jacket and then grabbed the diaper bag. He took Tony's hand and after he'd buckled Tony into his seat, he went to his own and drove off to the daycare. Once again Hotch and Spencer arrived at the daycare at the same time.

"Okay Tony. Remember to apologize."  
"Whatever", Tony replied, keeping his eyes on agent Hotchner. He looked pretty mad.

"Agent Gibbs, Tony," Hotch greeted, his eyes settling on Tony. Tony felt really uncomfortable. He just wanted to run away.  
Spencer was nervous too; he didn't dare look Agent Gibbs in the eye. 'Was he mad at him?' he wondered. Spencer was squirming in his wheelchair.  
Tony looked at his shoes. "I'm sorry, Agent Hotchner. I shouldn't have talked Spencer into running away with me, and we shouldn't have been doing anything dangerous".  
Spencer looked shocked up at Hotch. "You're not mad at Tony are you? I went with him willingly. It's not his fault!"  
"He is older and shouldn't have tried to talk you into breaking the rules. But he has apologized now. Don't do it again, Tony. If you ever put Spencer in danger again, I will spank you myself, is that clear?"

Tony fidgeted. "Yes, sir", he replied, moving closer to Gibbs. Gibbs laid a protecting arm around Tony. "Don't worry Agent Hotchner. Tony has already been punished, and as long as he's in my care I'm the only one who spanks him, unless I've given permission to someone else," Gibbs said firmly.

Hotch nodded. "Alright, I'll respect that. And you two can call me Hotch, everybody does".  
Gibbs nodded satisfied. "And you can call me Gibbs, most people call me that."  
Spencer looked shyly up at Gibbs. "I'm sorry too, sir... Gibbs. You're not going to spank me, are you?" Spencer asked worriedly. Gibbs smiled down at him and ruffled his hair. "Not as long as you're not in my care, I won't."  
Hotch put his hand on Spencer's shoulder protectively. "No one is going to spank you, you have already been punished," he reassured him. Spencer let out a relieved sigh.

Hotch pushed the wheelchair through the entrance of the building. "Remember, I told you to apologize to Mrs. Jason as well", he said to Spencer.  
Spencer nodded sadly.

Tony really didn't want to see Mrs. Jason. She'd seemed nice enough yesterday, but maybe that would be different today. He hoped Gibbs wouldn't let her spank him either. When he spotted her, he waved nervously, feeling even worse at the stern glare she gave him.  
Gibbs pushed Tony. "Mrs. Jason, Tony has something to tell you."  
Tony cleared his throat. "Umm...I just, well, I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry about yesterday. I shouldn't have run away, and I shouldn't have made Spencer come with me," he said sadly.  
Mrs. Jason nodded satisfied. "Good to hear. You're forgiven, but both you and Spencer will be punished."

Spencer gulped at that. 'What did she mean by punished?' he thought. He really hoped she didn't mean a spanking.  
Tony shuffled his feet nervously. "But I've already been punished, tell her Gibbs", he complained.  
"Yes, he has been punished. But of course if you usually punish your charges, you can't let this pass."  
"You and Spencer won't be allowed to play with each other while in this daycare for a week. That's our punishment," she said firmly.  
"But Gibbs! I don't like the others," Tony whined. Not that he'd actually talked to any of them.  
Hotch was a little concerned. He knew how hard it was for Spencer to make new friends, and had been quite surprised that he'd connected with Tony so fast. On the other hand, he didn't like the idea of Tony talking Spencer into breaking the rules.  
"Sorry, Tony. But you will obey the daycare's punishment and rules," Gibbs said firmly.  
"But what if the others are mean to Spencer?" he tried. Maybe he could guilt them into letting him play with Spencer, he thought smugly.  
"Then I or one of my staff members will take care of Spencer and punish those who are not nice to him," Mrs. Jason said.  
Tony turned to Gibbs. "I wanna go home," he said, getting ready to turn on the water works if necessary.  
"No can do, Kiddo. Now behave if you don't want another 'talk' before bedtime," Gibbs said firmly. Tony huffed and walked into the playroom where he sat down in a corner, sulking.  
"Don't worry Agent Gibbs. We'll keep a better eye on him this time and we've had our security company go over the building to prevent anything like this from happening again."

Gibbs nodded satisfied. "It'd better not, or I'll find a more secure place for Tony."  
Hotch nodded in agreement. "Spencer is not to be left alone. I want you to make sure that someone is always responsible for knowing his whereabouts". He turned to Spencer. "And if you even _think_ of sneaking off again, young man, you will get a spanking that'll make yesterday's spanking seem like a series of gentle love pats. Are we clear?"  
Spencer gulped and his face turned an even deeper red than his backside had been yesterday, out of embarrassment. Now Gibbs and Mrs. Jason knew that he had been spanked like a little kid. He hoped that Hotch had forgotten that he should apologize to Mrs. Jason, because he didn't feel like talking at all.  
"Don't you have something to tell Mrs. Jason, Spencer?" Hotch prompted sternly. He could see that Spencer was embarrassed, but he had to show him consistency. If he'd said he had to apologize, then he was going to, no matter how much Hotch wanted to baby him instead. Spencer let out a frustrated sigh. He then looked shyly at Mrs. Jason. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Jason, for running away. But please, don't make me stay away from Tony! He's the only friend I've got!" Spencer said with puppy dog eyes. Mrs. Jason let out a sigh. She had a hard time ignoring those puppy dog eyes, but she had to be firm. "I'm sorry, Spencer. You are allowed to talk and play with each other again in a week."  
"I'm sure you'll find other friends too," Hotch said in an attempt to comfort him.  
"No, I won't. I'm very lucky that Tony wants to be my friend - no one else has ever wanted to be before!"  
Hotch looked at Mrs. Jason in despair. "I'm sure that's not true, Spencer," he said.  
Spencer looked down at his lap. "You'll see. I'm just a geek; just as I was when I was a child," Spencer said sadly. Hotch pulled him up and settled him on his hip. "Of course you're not." He threw Mrs. Jason a glare, which clearly stated: 'Do something'.  
Mrs. Jason took Spencer from Hotch and put him on her lap. "It's okay, Spencer. We have nice charges here. They won't bully you, I promise." She then pulled him up on his feet and helped him to the playroom, settling him in the opposite end from where Tony was.  
Hotch felt absolutely awful about leaving Spencer today. He looked at Gibbs. "Aren't they being too hard on them?" he asked worriedly.  
"I'm sorry about Spencer's insecurities, but I'm afraid Mrs. Jason is right. They can't favor one charge over the others. So the rules must apply to every charge. But as they can't say what they can, or can't do after daycare, we can arrange a playdate as soon as possible."  
Hotch smiled. "Yes, that is a great idea. Spencer will need some cheering up. I might need some cheering up as well", he added as an afterthought.  
"Good. I'll have the weekend off, if I'm able to finish my load of paper work..." Then Gibbs had a great idea. McGee was his senior agent at the moment, until Tony was fit to go back into the field. He could do most of that boring paper work. "I will be able to finish. So do you have time for the boys to have a playdate this weekend? And we could watch a hockey game, if you want?"  
"Sure, I have the weekend off. I don't think Spencer's ever been to a hockey game before. He's never been much into sports, but I think he'd have fun. Will you call me with the details?" Hotch asked.  
"Sure. Well, I'd better get going if I want the weekend off."  
"Yeah, me too," Hotch agreed, leaving.


	5. Chapter 5

Thanks to the reviewers ;) Here's the next chapter.

Tony was still sulking in the corner, refusing to come out. He looked longingly at Spencer, who appeared to have been forced into playing with dolls with some girls.  
Spencer hated being forced to play with dolls, but this young woman demanded he play, or she would scream and tell the staff that he was doing naughty stuff to her. Spencer sniffled. He wondered if he should ask Hotch to get a haircut, so he wouldn't look so much like a girl and then the girls wouldn't make him play girly things.  
Tony watched Spencer walk the doll around the floor with a deep frown on his young face. He didn't seem to be enjoying himself that much. "Mrs. Jason!" he called. Mrs. Jason hurried to Tony. "What is it Tony? Do you need to be changed?"  
"No," Tony lied, his tone rather rude too. "Does it look like Spencer's having fun to you? He doesn't want to play with a couple of stupid girls".  
"Anthony! I expect you to talk nicely to me and everyone else here!" She then looked at Spencer. "But you're right; he doesn't."  
"I don't have to do anything I don't want to do," he said and stuck his tongue out at her. "And make those bitches leave him alone". Tony was in a foul mood, and with Gibbs no longer here, he wasn't afraid to take it out on someone else.  
"Okay, if you want it that way." She then turned her attention to one of her staff members. "Miss Strickt. Please go change Anthony here, and after that you put this naughty boy in a timeout." "Yes, Mrs. Jason, my pleasure." Miss Strickt then looked firmly at Tony.  
"No! I don't need to be changed, and I don't need a timeout!" He scooted away from the woman.  
Miss Strickt was really strict, like her last name. She wanted no nonsense. She grabbed him and gave him a firm swat on his padded backside and then dragged him to the changing table. "You'd better climb up or else you'll get to feel a very hard spanking!"  
Tony whimpered. She looked like she meant it. He reluctantly climbed up, his lower lip trembling. She then changed him and placed him in a timeout, facing a corner. "Now stay until we tell you to come out, or else!" With that she left.  
Tony stayed there, crying silently. This place sucked.

Spencer noticed what they did to Tony. He wished he could help him. He started to worry when Mrs. Jason was heading his way. Was she mad at him too, just like she was at Tony?"  
"Hi there, Spencer. Are you having fun?" she asked, looking at the girls and him.  
Spencer started to cry. "No!" He pointed at the young woman. "She made me play and if I didn't, she would claim I'd done naughty things to her. I promise, I would never do that to her. Please believe me."  
Mrs. Jason's eyebrows shot up. "Is that so, Maddy?" she asked the girl in a strict voice. The girl named Maddy averted her eyes. "He wouldn't play with us," she explained. "Young woman! You will not threaten the others with such cruel lies, do you hear me?" Mrs. Jason pulled her upright and smacked her backside several times. "You're getting a timeout". She dragged the protesting girl to the nearest corner and left her there. Then she went back to Spencer and picked him up. "I'm sorry about that, honey," she said, sitting in a chair with Spencer on her lap, as he was getting a bit heavy for her. "How about I read you a story?" she suggested, thinking that was more to Spencer's liking. Spencer nodded while sniffling and lay back to enjoy the story better.  
Mrs. Jason settled Spencer against her chest and held the book with one hand while she was stroking his cheek with the other. She began reading the story. It was a shortened version of Snow White with illustrations. "Look at the picture, Spencer. Snow White is very pretty, isn't she?" The boy seemed really into the story. Spencer nodded his head. Maybe this place wasn't so bad after all, though he'd hoped that Tony could be here too, listening to the story. This was going to be a very long week without being able to play with Tony, and that saddened him a lot.  
They were almost done with the book. Mrs. Jason noticed the sad expression on Spencer's face. "Hey there honey, don't be sad. Do you want a bottle and a nap?" she asked him, rocking him softly.  
"I would love a bottle, but no naps," Spencer said while trying hard to hide a yawn. Mrs. Jason smiled at him. "Of course not." She asked one of the other staff members to warm up a bottle for Spencer, so she could stay with him. When Clive, one of the other caretakers, handed her the bottle, she put it to Spencer's lips. "Open up."

Spencer drank the milk, and before the bottle was empty he was sound asleep. Mrs. Jason got up and carried Spencer into a room with several adult-sized cribs. She put him in one and tucked him in, brushing his hair out of his face. She switched on the baby monitor next to the bed and left the room. She asked Clive to check on Spencer every five minutes. She didn't want him wandering off if he woke up. Inside the play room, she found Tony sitting on the floor, still pouting. "Hey, Tony. Want to help me bake cookies for everybody?" she asked him, smiling.  
Tony looked up at her wearily. It didn't seem like she was still mad at him, so he got up and took her hand. In the kitchen they began mixing ingredients for chocolate chip cookies, and Tony popped a few of the chocolate chips into his mouth. "Where's Spencer?" he asked. When he'd come back from his timeout, Spencer had been gone.  
"He's in the nursery sleeping."  
"Is he alright?" Tony asked worriedly. Even though he'd only just met Spencer, it kind of felt like having a little brother. He reminded him of McGeek in many ways, only younger and more vulnerable. Tony even felt protective of McGee at times, but it was worse with Spencer, somehow.  
Mrs. Jason smiled brightly. "You really do care about Spencer. Don't you?"  
Tony sighed. "Yeah. He just seems like someone who needs to be looked after. I guess he has that effect on a lot of people," Tony pondered.  
"Yeah, you're right - and to answer your question, yes he is okay. After his accident he just gets tired very easily and needs some rest from time to time throughout the day."  
Tony nodded. "Yeah, ok. Let's make him a heart shaped cookie!" he suggested.  
"Let's do that and I'll give it to him and tell him you made it for him."  
Tony beamed at her. "Alright!" He then set to work. It turned out that shaping a cookie like a heart was rather difficult. He was a little red in the face by the time he succeeded. "There!" he declared proudly.  
"It's great Tony! I'm sure Spencer is going to love it. Now we'd better get it into the oven. While we wait for it to be done, what do you say to a bottle of warm milk? You've surely earned it."  
"Okay, but don't tell Spencer or the others. I don't want them to think I'm a baby," Tony said. He really needed a bottle now, but he didn't want anyone to make fun of him.  
She nodded. "I promise it will be between us. Girl scout's honor!"  
Tony smiled at her weakly. He watched her put warm milk in a bottle. After Mrs. Jason was done preparing the bottle for Tony, she went with him to the nursery in the hopes that he would fall asleep when the bottle was empty, so he could also have a nap like Spencer. Hopefully then Tony wouldn't become cranky before Agent Gibbs came to pick him up. In the nursery she was happy to see that Spencer was still sound asleep in his crib. She sat down in the rocking chair and invited Tony to sit on her lap. Tony eyed Spencer in his crib, making sure he was indeed asleep. He crawled onto Mrs. Jason's lap and snuggled up against her. His eyelids were a bit heavy as he drank the milk from the bottle, and he snuggled closer.  
Mrs. Jason was happy that Tony indeed fell asleep just before the bottle was empty. She lifted him gently, so as not to wake him up and placed him in the crib just next to Spencer's. She remembered that they weren't allowed to play with each other, but as they were both sleeping it should be okay. She hoped the both of them would feel safer when they were sleeping close to each other. And she hoped that in the future both young men would be happy to stay in this daycare and not try to run away again.

oOo

An hour later, Tony woke up feeling warm and well-rested. He looked around the room and saw Spencer sitting up in his crib. He caught his eye, and put his finger up in front of his lips, silently telling Spencer to keep quiet. He then leaned over and switched off the baby monitor. Satisfied, he sat back and smiled at Spencer. "Are you alright?" he asked, thinking of earlier, when Spencer had been playing with dolls.  
Spencer smiled when he saw that Tony finally had woken up. "Now I am. Mrs. Jason is kinda nice. She believed me that I didn't touch the young woman in a naughty way. And she helped me get away from the girls." Tony's eyes widened. "The girl claimed that?" He felt angry on Spencer's behalf. "Do you want me to take care of her for you?" he asked, an angry expression on his face. No one messed with his newfound baby brother.  
"She did. No, it's okay. Mrs. Jason made sure she got punished."  
Tony grumbled a bit. "Ok, then," he said. "Mrs. Jason's kinda cool," he added, smiling widely.  
Spencer smiled brightly as well. "Yes she is. She kinda reminds me of my mommy when she is in her normal state." Then Spencer suddenly felt sad when he remembered how sick his mommy was and how badly he missed her. Tony frowned at the distraught look on Spencer's face. "What's with your mom?" he asked carefully.  
"She's in an institution. She's got schizophrenia. My father wanted to place me there as well after my accident, but Hotch wouldn't let him. There's a ten percent risk that I'll inherit the same illness," Spencer said sadly. Tears ran freely down his cheeks while he sniffled.  
Tony felt sad and scared for Spencer. "Oh, wow. I'm sorry to hear that. But I'm sure you'll be alright," he said, trying to comfort Spencer. "Your dad wanted to put you in an institution?" he asked. Tony wondered what kind of man he was, and why he wasn't here, taking care of Spencer when he was hurt.  
"Yeah... he thought it would be for the best, as I'll probably go insane like my mommy now anyway. He even went to court, but luckily Hotch was a lawyer before he became an FBI agent, so he got full custody of me."  
Tony gaped at him. "What an ass. Well, I guess you're lucky to have Hotch." He considered for a bit. "Like I'm lucky to have Gibbs. I don't even want to know what my father would do to me, if he had custody now. He would probably get really mad if I went into toddler mode around him..." Tony shuddered at the thought, and desperately tried to block out the horrible memories attacking his mind.  
Spencer forgot about his own worries when he could see and hear Tony's distress about the memories of his own father. "Did your father leave you when you were really young as well?"  
"Well...he never paid much attention, since my mom died. He is not a nice man". Tony felt angry at the memory of his father.  
"I'm sorry, but I'm happy you've got Gibbs... your Gibbs looks kinda scary..." Spencer looked thoughtful, like he was afraid to ask, "T-Tony... don't be angry at me...uh...mmm..."  
Tony looked up. "Come on, I won't. What do you wanna know?" He winked at the kid.  
"I-is Gibbs a-as scary as h-he l-looks?" Spencer blushed. Tony chuckled. "Not really. He likes to play tough, but he's really a softie inside". Tony paled. "Don't tell him I said that, okay? But don't get me wrong, he is very strict. I swear his hand is made of iron." Tony winced. "He is never unfair, though. He's never punished me when I didn't deserve it".  
Spencer let out a relieved sigh. "Good. And I promise I won't tell him. Hotch's hand feels like it's made of iron too." Spencer squirmed in his seat at the memory of his last spanking.  
Tony raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, I'll bet. He really spanked you for running away? I mean, it was my idea. And for the record I am still sorry I dragged you into it."  
"Yes, sadly he did. To him it's no excuse that you dragged me into it. I did go with you and I broke the rules and endangered my life and he can't see past that without punishing me."  
"Sounds a lot like Gibbs." Tony gasped, "What if they give each other ideas? There will be so many rules! We might never sit again", he said, a fake sorrowful expression on his face.  
Spencer went pale. "I-I hope not. I-I have a hard time sitting comfortably as it is."  
Tony giggled. "Awww...poor baby."  
Spencer pouted. "I'm not a baby."  
"You kind of are. I don't mean that in a cruel way or anything. I like it; I've never had a little brother. You and I are gonna get into so much trouble together," Tony laughed.  
Spencer's face lit up. "You really want to be my brother?"  
"Sure. I'll be your nice, albeit better-looking older brother". Suddenly Mrs. Jason entered the room. She looked pretty mad.  
Spencer didn't notice Mrs. Jason entering the nursery. "Then now I've got two big brothers, but please don't spank me like Morgan does. He's too protective, much like Hotch."  
Tony gulped, looking over Spencer's shoulder. "I might not even be around to spank you," he choked out.  
"Who turned off the baby monitor?"  
Spencer looked Mrs. Jason in shock and gulped. He was happy he had a diaper on, as it was now soaked.

"What do you mean? We didn't turn it off. Maybe you forgot to turn it on", Tony lied.  
Mrs. Jason shook her head. "I clearly remember turning it on when I put Spencer in his crib. Now who turned it off?"  
Spencer looked sadly down at his lap, "I-I did, Mrs. Jason. I'm sorry," Spencer lied.  
Tony looked at Spencer bewildered. "What? No, it was me. Spencer didn't do anything," he said loudly.  
"No, Mrs. Jason. It was me. Tony just wants to protect me."  
"Spencer!" Tony cried. He turned to Mrs. Jason. "He's not telling the truth. I did it, and I'm sorry," he pleaded. She didn't seem pleased and she wasn't pleased, but she gave it a rest. She thought it was kind of cute how they protected each other. "Okay, I'll let it go. This time. But if it happens again, you will both be punished," she said firmly.  
"You're the best, Mrs. Jason. I promise I'll be good now," Tony exclaimed. "Do you have my gift for Spencer?"  
Mrs. Jason smiled brightly. "Yes, I have. It's waiting for him in the kitchen. But first things first; you both need to be changed. I'll call Clive to help you Tony. And I'll help Spencer. But remember - you two are not allowed to play together for a week."  
"What gift?" Spencer asked curiously.  
"I baked you something," Tony said, blushing. Spencer smiled brightly. "Really? For me?"  
Tony coughed. It was kinda uncool to bake a cookie for Spencer, he knew that. But the kid looked so excited. "Um, yeah. For you," he said, feeling embarrassed.  
"Thanks!" Spencer said happily.  
Just then Clive came in and asked Tony to come with him. Tony went with him unhappily. "See you later, Spencer". He really wished they could've played together. Spencer nodded sadly.  
Mrs. Jason went to Spencer. "Let's get you into a fresh diaper. It's almost time for lunch," she said lifting him out of the crib.  
"Can't you change the rules, so Tony and I can play with each other?" Spencer asked hopefully.

Mrs. Jason felt bad about saying no to Spencer, but she had to be consistent. "I'm sorry Spencer, I can't. You'll have to play with the others instead. And don't let me catch you and Tony breaking the rules again, okay? I won't let it go next time, honey," she gently reprimanded him.  
Spencer nodded sadly. He climbed onto the changing table and lay down. He put his thumb in his mouth for comfort. He promised himself he wouldn't play with anyone until he was able to play with Tony again.  
Mrs. Jason removed his wet diaper, and felt bad again when she saw Spencer sucking his thumb. The poor boy had probably had a hard time recently. She cleaned him and powdered him, and put a clean diaper on him. Then she fixed his clothes again. "Let's get you something to eat," she said carrying him into the playroom and setting him down at the table. All the others were gathered around the table for lunch, Tony included. He saw Spencer and smiled at him. Mrs. Jason sat down next to Spencer and started piling food onto his plate. She took care to add a copious amount of vegetables.  
"I don't want any vegetables," Spencer whined.  
Mrs. Jason gave him a stern look. "Now, none of that Spencer. You will eat your vegetables, or I will have to tell your guardian that you are putting your health at risk".  
"But I hate vegetables, and Hotch never makes me eat them," Spencer lied.  
"Spencer! I do not believe that to be true at all. You will not lie to me. Again, I might add." She picked up a piece of carrot and brought it to his mouth. "Open up, honey".  
Spencer made a face, but as he wanted what Tony had baked for him he didn't dare to make more of a scene, afraid that she would deny him it. So he opened his mouth reluctantly.  
"Good boy," Mrs. Jason said, feeding him his vegetables. The charge sitting next to Spencer snickered.  
"Stop that snickering Brian. You need to eat your vegetables too. Do you remember what happened last time you didn't?" another staff member said.  
Clive also made sure that there were a lot of vegetables on Tony's plate.

"Now eat Tony. Or do you need help?"  
Tony scowled. "I hate broccoli. I am not eating it."  
"You need to eat it anyway. Cancer hates broccoli, so that's why it's good for you. You need to stay healthy."  
Tony made a face. "It's gross and...green. I don't like it, and I don't like carrots or cucumber either."  
"You'd better start eating or I'll feed you," Clive warned.  
Tony reluctantly picked up a piece of cucumber and bit into it. Clive was satisfied. Tony chucked at piece of carrot at Brian, and Clive slapped his hand. "Now be nice Tony, or you won't get any of those cookies you've baked," Clive warned.  
"Okay," he grumbled. He saw Spencer eating his vegetables, and decided to do the same.  
Mrs. Jason smiled proudly at Spencer when he'd finished his lunch. She grabbed a cloth and cleaned his hands. "What do you want to play? Let's find someone you can play with".  
"What about what Tony baked for me? Can I have it now...please?"  
"Sure. And you can have a bottle too. But after that you need to play a bit, okay?"

"I'd love a bottle." Spencer smiled brightly. He then looked thoughtful. "Can I draw instead of playing?"  
"Only if you draw with someone else," she said. Spencer pouted; he didn't want to play or draw with anyone else but Tony. She brought him into the kitchen and handed him the cookie that Tony had made. "You eat this while I fix the bottle," she smiled.  
When the bottle was done, she wiped the crumbs from Spencer's face and hands. She brought him back into the playroom and sat down in one of the chairs. She patted her lap. "Come here, honey," she said.  
He sat on her lap and gladly let her put the nipple of the bottle into his mouth. She cuddled him close as he suckled. "You really like those bottles, don't you?" Spencer nodded.  
When he was done drinking, Mrs. Jason made to get up. Spencer pressed back against her instead. "Come on, Spencer. You can draw a picture with Brian now," she encouraged.  
Spencer panicked. "I don't wanna draw with Brian."  
Mrs. Jason lifted him up. "Come on now, Spencer." She dragged him toward the table where Brian was coloring a picture of a dog. "Sit", she demanded.  
Spencer reluctantly did, but he looked shyly down at the table making sure not to have any eye contact with Brian.  
Mrs. Jason put a piece of paper and a crayon in front of him. "There you go", she said. She turned to the other young man. "Brian, what do you think Spencer should draw?" The man looked at Spencer wearily. "I don't know. A cat."  
Spencer started to draw, but not a cat - he didn't want Brian to tell him what to draw, so he drew an elephant.  
Brian laughed at his picture. "That's a really ugly cat. Maybe you are still too little to draw properly," he whispered, making sure no one but Spencer heard him.  
"No, I am not! And it's not a cat, it's an elephant! Maybe you are too little to see that?"  
Brian's face distorted with anger. "You shouldn't even be here. I don't want to play with you." He ripped Spencer's drawing apart, and smirked. Spencer started to cry.  
Tony looked up from the blocks he was playing with when he heard Spencer crying. He saw Brian and the ripped drawing and quickly deduced what had happened. Enraged he got up and went to Brian. He smacked his face and started shouting at him. "You leave Spencer alone, you hear me?" Tony was so angry he didn't even notice that he had everyone's attention, and that Mrs. Jason was headed his way.  
"Anthony Dinozzo! We don't hit anyone here!" Mrs. Jason yelled.  
"But he was being mean to Spencer!" Tony cried, stomping his foot.  
"I don't care. If you see or hear something, you tell us and let us handle it! Now go sit and face the corner till I tell you to come out. I'll take care of Spencer and Brian."  
Tony's face was red with anger. "But he deserved it! I'm not facing the stupid corner!"  
"Yes, you are. You better do it now if you don't want me to call Agent Gibbs and tell him to pick you up for hitting a fellow playmate."  
The threat of calling Gibbs sobered Tony up somewhat. He didn't want another spanking, and Gibbs would definitely spank him for this if he found out. He reluctantly put himself in a corner.  
Mrs. Jason went to Spencer and picked him up. He was still crying. "Hey there, shh.." she said bouncing him a little.  
"I want to go home." Spencer cried out.  
"There, there. You'll be picked up in four hours," Mrs. Jason said, but it only seemed to make him cry harder. Four hours felt like an eternity to Spencer. Since Spencer didn't seem to be calming down, Mrs. Jason decided to try something else. "How about I let you call Agent Hotchner? You can talk to him, and maybe you'll feel better," she suggested.  
Spencer nodded frantically. Mrs. Jason brought him into the small office and handed him the phone.


	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks to the reviewers. Here's another little chapter;)**

Hotch had just finished presenting the profile in a local abduction case, when his cell phone rang. "Agent Hotchner".  
"Daddy! I want to go home!" Spencer cried out.  
Hotch immediately panicked. Spencer didn't often call him daddy. "Spencer? What's wrong, baby?" he asked. JJ and Morgan looked up at him, frowning.  
"Brian was mean to me. He ripped my drawing in half, and I'm not allowed to play with Tony," Spencer sobbed.  
"I'm sorry to hear that Spencer. Did you tell Mrs. Jason?"  
"No, but Tony did."  
"Okay. Don't you think you can go back and play with the others? I'll be picking you up at five," Hotch said, wishing he could comfort him better. He couldn't stand listening to Spencer crying, and not be able to hold him.  
"I don't want to play with the others. They are mean to me. I want to play with Tony, but I'm not allowed to. Please, pick me up. I want to go home." Spencer kept on sobbing. "And I want a haircut."  
"A haircut? Spencer..."  
"I want my hair very short."  
"Why?" Hotch asked bewildered. Spencer had always liked keeping his hair long.  
"Because the girls are forcing me to play dolls with them. One even threatened to tell the staff that I touched her in a naughty way if I didn't play with her. I didn't do that to her. Honest, Daddy!"  
"What? You would never do that; I'll talk to Mrs. Jason if they think you did anything! And there is nothing wrong with how you look. If you don't want to play with dolls, then tell them so," Hotch said. Morgan chuckled, and Hotch sent him a stern glare. He held his hands up. "Sorry," he whispered, still giggling lightly. JJ smacked him on the arm. "It's not funny, Morgan," she whispered. Rossi also gave him a warning look.

"But I want a haircut," Spencer whined; he wanted to have short hair like Tony.  
Hotch rubbed his face tiredly. "Spencer, we can talk about that later. Daddy has to work". Morgan erupted in another fit of chuckles. Hotch frowned at him.  
Rossi had had enough. He stood up and made Morgan follow him. Morgan went after him. "What, I didn't do nothing," he laughed.

Hotch listened to Spencer crying on the other end. He looked at JJ. "Can you find Garcia?" he whispered. It turned out she didn't need to, as Garcia stepped into the room just then. "Sir, I brought the files from the hard drive...sorry" she said as she noticed that he was on the phone. He nodded at her. "Spencer, baby, don't cry", he said.  
"When will you come to pick me up?"  
Hotch sighed. "At five".  
"Why not sooner?"  
Hotch decided he'd been persistent long enough. Time to give in. "I can't pick you up, but I will send Garcia". He covered the phone with his hand. "You don't mind, do you?" he asked. Garcia shook her head, bewildered.  
"Thank you, Daddy! Maybe she can take me to get a haircut."  
Hotch suddenly had a vision of Spencer with purple streaks in his hair. "I don't think so Spencer. She'll be there within the hour, so be a good boy until she gets there".  
"Okay," Spencer said not so happily, he so badly wanted the haircut.  
"See you. Bye". Hotch hung up, and turned to Garcia. "I'm sorry about this, Garcia. He was just so sad; I can't just leave him there. Can you keep an eye on him?" Garcia smiled softly. "Of course. Can't let my Junior G-man be sad. I'll leave immediately." Hotch smiled gratefully. "Bring him back to the office, but keep him far away from crime scene photos", he warned. Garcia nodded and left. The drive to the daycare center was thirty minutes, and she hurriedly parked the car and went inside. A middle aged woman greeted her. "I am Penelope Garcia, here to pick up Spencer Reid", she said, fishing for her ID in her green and pink purse.  
"Come on in. He's been waiting for you. He's still quite upset," Mrs. Jason said.  
Garcia heard crying and more or less ran to Spencer. His face was red and swollen from crying so long. "Spencie, come here", she said to gain his attention.  
Spencer hurried up and ran to Garcia and hugged her for dear life. "Penny! You're finally here!"  
Garcia was surprised, but hugged him back. "Of course I am, baby. We're going to stay at the office until Daddy can take you home, ok? I have some really cool things you can play with," she smiled.  
Spencer nodded happily. He was so happy that he could leave this place for now; he just wished they could take Tony with them. He then looked over to Mrs. Jason. "Can we take Tony with us?" he asked hopefully. Mrs. Jason shook her head. "I don't think Agent Gibbs would be too happy if I let Tony leave with someone he doesn't know. I'll see you tomorrow then, Spencer." She stroked his hair tenderly, and handed Garcia the diaper bag. Garcia accepted it. Shoot, she'd forgotten about that aspect. Hopefully Spencer wouldn't need changing. She'd seen a friend change her son's diaper once, and that had been enough for her.  
Spencer nodded sadly, but his face lit up when he saw Gibbs entering the daycare. He ran to him. "Gibbs! Tony is so going to be happy to see you!"

Gibbs smiled. "He is?"  
Spencer nodded. "Yes, he is. Just as happy as I am that Penny came to pick me up!"

"Who's Penny?" Gibbs was worried. Was that Penny allowed to pick up Spencer? he wondered.  
"Hello good sir, I am Penelope Garcia, technical analyst with the BAU," she formally introduced herself, shaking the man's hand. She'd heard Hotch and Morgan talk about this man.  
For some reason he felt very protective of Spencer, so Gibbs was relieved to hear who she was. Now he didn't need to worry about Spencer's safety. "Nice to meet you, Agent Garcia."  
Garcia blushed. "Please, call me Garcia".  
Spencer hurried to the playroom and he yelled, "Tony! Gibbs is here to pick you up!"

Gibbs nodded. "Garcia. Take good care of that boy. Say hi to Hotch for me and let him know I'll call him tomorrow."  
Tony got up when he heard Spencer calling. "Nice! No more corner time for me today!" he said, loudly enough for Gibbs to hear, unfortunately.  
"Sorry Garcia, I think I need to go to my charge. It sounds like he has something to tell me about his day here," he said and went to Tony.  
Tony paled. "I swear I didn't do _anything,_" he lied. Garcia chuckled and motioned for Spencer to follow her to her car.  
"Bye, Tony," Spencer said. He hoped that Tony wasn't in trouble with Gibbs. He then hugged Mrs. Jason, "Bye Mrs. J." She hugged him back, pulled him down and kissed the top of his head. "Bye, Spencer. Be good for Miss Garcia," she cautioned.  
Tony waved at Spencer and trailed after Gibbs. He really hoped Gibbs would be in a good mood today.  
In the car, Gibbs turned to look at Tony. "So tell me Tony. Why were you in a timeout if you didn't do anything?"  
Tony squirmed. "It wasn't my fault. Brian, this other guy at the daycare, he was being, like really mean to Spencer. So I...helped Spencer...", he trailed off.  
"Helped? And how DID you help him?" Gibbs asked suspiciously.  
"I told the guy to leave Spencer alone," Tony said, avoiding Gibbs' eyes.  
"So why were you forced to face a corner for telling him that?"  
"...because I sort of slapped him too..." Tony confessed.  
Gibbs stepped on the breaks in a secluded place. "You did what?"

oOo

"I don't like the attitude Morgan. Just wait till you have kids, and you won't think it's funny. Besides, you should see yourself when you're with Spencer. You adore him just as much as Hotch does," Rossi scolded. Morgan shrugged. "It's not an attitude, it was just funny!" He grinned again. "And I do like the kid".  
Rossi shook his head. "Wait till Spencer calls you and begs and cries for you to pick him up from daycare. You would do anything too, just to get him to calm down."  
Morgan shuffled his feet. He knew Rossi was right. They all had a soft spot for the kid. "Okay, right, I'm sorry". Rossi nodded satisfied. "Please remember that in the future."  
Morgan nodded. He didn't like being told off by Rossi. Or anyone.

oOo

"You'd better not slap anyone again! No matter what the person has done," Gibbs said firmly.  
"But Gibbs! He was mean!" Tony protested.  
"I don't care! You just don't slap anyone! When you see things like that I expect you to call Mrs. Jason, or one of the other daycare helpers."  
"Okay. I guess. Don't spank me?" Tony pleaded, looking at Gibbs.  
"I won't this time, but do it again and you WILL get a bare spanking. Is that understood?"  
Tony nodded eagerly. "I won't," he said. At least he would take care not to get caught.  
"You'd better not!" With that Gibbs started the engine and drove them home.

oOo

Garcia and Spencer were on their way up to her office. They got into the elevator. "Wanna press the button?" she asked him kindly. Spencer nodded happily and pressed the button.

"I'm going to get a haircut today! As soon as Hotch has time to take me," Spencer said happily. "And I'm going to have it cut really short."  
"Oh,really?" Garcia asked. That was strange. "I like your hair. It's pretty," she said fluffing it up. Once inside her office she pulled out her fun-drawer, and got a small robot out. "Here".  
"Thanks. I don't like it long anymore. I want it short, like Tony's." He started to play with the robot.  
Garcia raised her eyebrow. She made sure he was happily playing before turning on her monitors. 'I can't kiddie-proof these babes' she thought to herself, closing down all windows with icky pictures.  
A while later Spencer was bored with the robot. When Garcia was busy talking on the phone, he went to the computers and opened some windows and he started to cry loudly when he saw a small body covered in blood.  
Garcia's head whipped around. "Oh, shoot, I gotta go, Boss-man", she said hanging up. She switched off the monitor and quickly gathered Spencer in her arms. "Baby, don't look at that!"  
"W-what h-happened t-to t-the b-boy?" Spencer asked while crying.  
"Oh, nothing baby. I was nothing, just make-up," she lied petting his hair. When he stopped crying, she held him at arm's length. "And don't ever touch my things again without asking first," she said in the sternest voice she could muster.  
Spencer looked down at his feet. "I-I'm sorry." He then suddenly looked up at her in horror. "No! It wasn't make-believe! I-I have seen something like that before! Haven't I? Someone has hurt the boy badly!" Spencer hurried to the nearest corner and started to sob. He buried his face in his knees that he'd raised, and wrapped his arms around his legs while he was rocking back and forth. Memories of horrible things were coming to the surface.  
Garcia tried to hold back tears. "Oh, Spencer. Don't think about it, okay? We always catch the bad people. Come sit with me". She helped him up and suddenly found herself with a lap-full of Boy Genius. His padded bottom reminded her that he might be wet. She winced internally. Oh, God. "Um..babe? Are you, eh..wet?" she asked him carefully.  
Spencer nodded while sniffling. "I-I worked with you here, haven't I? I've s-seen many awful things. I-I wish I could forget it again!" Spencer started to sob again.  
Garcia rocked him and shushed him. "Hey, it's okay. You always help us get to the bad guys really fast. But you don't have to worry about that now, okay? You just focus on being a happy little boy, and we will deal with the rest. We're all very proud of you". She smiled at him tenderly. When he squirmed on her lap, she started worrying about his diaper again. Maybe he was embarrassed that he needed her to change him. "Let's get your diaper bag, baby", she said, getting up. Spencer blushed.


	7. Chapter 7

**Thanks for the reviews. You guys are the best ;)**

Garcia opened the diaper bag. "So, what do we have here?" she muttered to herself. She pulled out a diaper. That would be needed. Wet wipes too. Powder? Well, sure, why not, she thought. "Spencie, come here, we'll have to use the floor". She got a small towel from the bag and placed it on the floor. "Lie down".  
Spencer didn't move, too embarrassed to let Garcia change him. Garcia patted the floor again. "Spencer, don't make me come get you". She didn't really know what to do if Spencer decided to be stubborn about it. Maybe she should have asked Hotch what to do if he misbehaved.  
Spencer looked shyly down at his feet and shook his head. Garcia sighed and got up. She pulled him to his feet. He was a lot taller than her, and there was no way she could force him. She didn't want to either. "Spencer, you need a fresh diaper. There's nothing to be scared of. It's only me here," she said, her voice betraying her hurt at his reluctance.  
He nodded sadly and did as she asked of him.

Getting his shoes and pants off was fairly easy. Now she only needed the diaper off. 'Oh, dear, I don't know what I'm doing. This is NOT part of the job description', she thought to herself. She unfastened the sides of the diaper. 'Get a grip, Garcia. The poor baby feels bad enough as it is, so just do it already!' she scolded herself. Apparently it worked. Of course she could do this. It was Spencer, her baby boy. She grabbed his knee and lifted his bottom slightly, pulling the diaper out from under him. Cleaning and powdering him was a piece of cake really, and she put a new diaper on him, getting it right on the first try. "There! All better now," she exclaimed as she put his pants back on him. Spencer really felt more comfortable now.  
She smiled at him, and pulled him toward her. Sitting on the floor was a bit uncomfortable, but it made him fit easier against her. She wrapped her arms around him, and he pushed his face against her chest. Her heart fluttered a bit. She'd never considered having kids, but he was making something inside her ache.  
Spencer slowly put his thumb in his mouth; he needed the comfort, as the memories were still hunting him. Garcia smiled warmly when she saw him sucking his thumb. "Are you hungry?" she asked.  
"Ice cream?" he replied hopefully.  
"Sure. I'll go get something from my super secret stash of Ben&Jerry's. Don't tell Morgan where it is, or he'll eat it all," she said mock-sternly, getting up and leading him out the door by his hand. They found the ice cream in the back of the mini-freezer in the break room. She grabbed two spoons and handed him one when they were both seated. "Dig in", she said.  
Spencer happily dug in and he knew he wouldn't tell Morgan; no way did he want him to eat them all.  
Fifteen minutes later they were done, and Garcia grimaced at Spencer's sticky face and hands. "Ok, kiddo. Let's go the bathroom and clean you up a bit". She smuggled him into the ladies room and wet a couple of paper towels. "Hold still", she said attempting to wipe the mess off his face as he was leaning further and further away from her. Spencer definitely didn't want the wet paper towels on his face; he didn't like it one bit.  
Garcia held the back of his neck and quickly wiped his face. She then washed his hands under heavy protests.

"So what do you wanna do now?" She figured Hotch could call her if he needed her. She could spend a little time with Spencer instead of the computers.  
"A trip to the park," he said, smiling happily at the thought.  
Garcia thought about it for a moment. "Okay, but you have to hold my hand the whole time. Can't have you wandering off. Hotch would kill me".  
Spencer bit his lower lip and thought about it and then nodded. Garcia beamed at him. He held her hand all the way to the park. They sat on a bench looking at the ducks. She noticed him shivering a bit. "Are you cold?" she asked worriedly. She hadn't even brought him a scarf or anything, but it was a bit chilly outside today. He nodded. His legs also hurt, but he didn't want to tell Garcia, because he didn't want her to feel bad about letting him walk the whole way instead of using the wheelchair.  
"Oh, let's get you back," she said, getting up. He tried to follow but his knees buckled under him and he fell down. "Sweetie!" she shouted, desperately trying to help him up. "Oh, no, I didn't bring your wheelchair! You can't walk?" she asked. He also looked a bit red in the face. What if he had a fever? Oh, dear God, what had she done? Spencer sniffled. "My legs hurt."  
Garcia frantically fished for her phone. She punched in Morgan's number quickly. He picked up on the second ring. "Hey, it's me," she said, her voice shaking.  
"Hey, baby girl. What's wrong?" Morgan asked worried.  
"I forgot Spencer's wheelchair. We're at the park, and he can't walk anymore. How could I be so stupid? And I'm afraid he's sick too," she cried.  
"Calm down. Everything is going to be alright. I'll come with the wheelchair as fast as I can."  
"Okay, okay...that's...good," she said, trying to calm herself down. "Hotch will murder me," she whimpered.  
"No, he won't. I will make sure of that."

Spencer sniffled. "I'm sorry, Penny. I should have told you, I didn't want to sit in the chair because it reminds me too much of a stroller. I-I'm sorry." Spencer cried. "That's why I didn't tell you," he said between sobs.  
She ended the call. "Spencer, don't do stuff like that! But it's my fault, really. I should have remembered." They sat down and waited for Morgan to arrive.  
Morgan ran as fast as he could while pushing the wheelchair, and he didn't care about the weird looks he got from strangers. Spencer and his baby girl needed him.

Garcia almost laughed as she spotted Morgan sprinting across the park with an empty wheelchair in front of him. She nudged Spencer. "There he is," she giggled.  
Spencer smiled as best as he could, his legs hurt a lot. He wasn't looking forward to the physical therapy he had to go to again next week, because then they would hurt even worse.  
Morgan lifted him up quickly and settled him in the wheelchair. "There you go, pretty boy. Let's get you home. 'Daddy' is waiting", he said, grinning at him.  
Spencer was looking forward to see his daddy, he missed him a lot, and it felt like he hadn't seen him in ages. He rubbed his legs; they were really hurting badly.  
Morgan turned to Garcia. "We wrapped the case up 20 minutes ago. We caught the SOB, and everything is fine. Figured we'd celebrate with dinner at Hotch's place. He's shopping with Rossi on the way back. We're having Italian. Figures". He rolled his eyes, and chuckled. As they drove back to Hotch's place, they both kept an eye on Spencer. He seemed a bit happier, but not much.  
Even though his legs hurt a lot he wanted his haircut. "I want a haircut; please take me to a hairdresser right away."  
Morgan laughed. "You're still going on about that? Look, kid, your hair is fine. And there's nothing wrong with playing with dolls either, if you want to".  
"I don't want to play with dolls. And I want that haircut!" Spencer whined.  
"Spencer, stop it right now", Morgan warned, as they pulled up at Hotch's house.  
"But I want my haircut." Spencer pouted.  
"You can pester your daddy about it instead," he sighed, lifting Spencer out of the car. Hotch came out of the house.  
"Daddy! I want my hair cut really short and I want it right now."  
Hotch took Spencer from Morgan. "Spencer, no. We won't let bullies dictate how you look. And it's dinner time, anyway. Aren't you hungry?" he asked, smiling at Spencer.  
"But..."  
"No buts, Spencer. Dinner time. You can play while we finish cooking. Are you okay, you look a little flushed?" He turned to Garcia. "Why isn't he wearing a scarf and gloves? It's cold outside today," he said, his tone slightly accusatory. Garcia blushed. "I'm sorry. I promise to remember next time."  
Spencer pouted, and he was hurting badly. His legs felt like they were being stabbed with knives. He started to whimper.  
"What's wrong, baby?" Hotch asked worriedly.  
"My legs hurt," he whimpered.  
"Oh, let's get you inside." Hotch placed Spencer on the couch inside. He carefully massaged his legs. "Feel better?" he asked. Spencer was obviously tired. He needed some dinner and a lot of sleep. He hoped he wouldn't get sick from being outside today.  
Spencer nodded while he rubbed his eyes. He so craved a bottle.  
Hotch had to hold Spencer on his lap and feed him dinner because he was so tired. When they were done, Hotch asked Morgan to warm a bottle for Spencer. He carried him to his room and changed him and dressed him in his pajamas. "Ready for your bottle now?" He smiled at Spencer.  
Spencer smiled brightly while nodding, as he was too tired to talk.  
JJ brought the bottle to Spencer's room. She handed it to Hotch and sat down to watch as he fed him.  
Spencer suckled down his milk and was sound asleep before the bottle was empty. It had been a very long and hard day for him. JJ helped Hotch tuck Spencer in. They left the room silently.

oOo

"So Tony. What do you think about arranging a playdate with Spencer this weekend?" Gibbs asked when they sat at the table eating their dinner. Tony looked up and smiled widely. "That'd be great! We could do something really cool!"  
Gibbs wasn't so sure he would think that what Tony thought was cool really was a good idea. "Like what? You know that Hotch and I have to agree with it, and you're not allowed to go out unsupervised."  
"We could go to a bar and play darts! And I guess you can come if you have to," Tony said. He didn't think he needed Gibbs to babysit him, though.  
Gibbs frowned. "I'm not so sure Hotch will allow Spencer to play with darts. Just thinking about how he handled the gun at the shooting range gives me the shivers" Gibbs said. "And besides, I'm not fond of the idea of you in a bar - what if you go into toddler mode?"  
Tony scoffed. "I won't! I like bars, just kicking back with a couple of beers and a good friend. But maybe you're right, Hotch might not want Spencer to play darts... He is kinda overprotective". Gibbs almost choked on the water he was drinking. "No beer for you Tony! You know that."  
Tony scowled. "But I like beer." Maybe he could buy a rum and coke and tell Gibbs it was just coke. He'd rather have had beer though.  
"I know, but no alcohol for you. No, we need to find something you can do here or at Spencer's home or at the park."  
"You're no fun. There's nothing to do at the park," Tony pouted.  
"Yes, there is. You can take a baseball with you, or a basketball."  
Tony considered it. That would be kind of nice, actually. "Okay, I guess. I could teach Spencer to play".  
Gibbs smiled satisfied, "And I'm sure he would love it if you teach him."  
Tony smiled happily. "Yes. I really like hanging out with him". He carefully pushed his peas to the other side of the plate, away from the stuff that was not as green and disgusting.  
But that didn't go unnoticed by the former marine. "Eat your peas, Tony or you won't get any dessert," Gibbs said firmly.  
"But, Gibbs... I don't like them!" he whined, separating yet another pea from his mashed potatoes.  
"I don't like them either, but I eat them anyway because it's healthy. Now eat!"  
He reluctantly did, because he knew Gibbs had gotten strawberry ice cream for dessert and he really liked that, even though it was pink. After dessert Gibbs noticed that Tony was starting to go into one of his toddler modes, probably because he was tired. "Come on Tony. You need to have a bath before bed."  
"No!" Tony protested, dropping to the floor. He didn't want a bath, he wanted more ice cream and he wanted to watch a movie. He hated bath time.  
"You need a bath, Tony. After the bath I'm going to read you a story."  
"Can't you read me a story now? I don't need a bath," he whined, refusing to get up.  
"Sorry. No bath, no story. Just straight to bed."  
Tony considered it. "Okay, then." He would really like Gibbs to read him a story. Gibbs ruffled his hair. "You can play with your bath toys if you want."  
"Cool!" Maybe the bath wouldn't be all horrible. He took Gibbs' hand and let himself be led into the bathroom. As Tony was completely in toddler mode when they reached the bathroom, Gibbs helped him get undressed when the bath was ready.  
"The water is too hot!" Tony complained loudly as soon as he had gotten in the tub.  
As Gibbs had made sure it was the right temperature before he helped Tony in, he said, "No, it's not - now sit still and play with your toys." Gibbs handed him his toys.  
"It's too cold now," Tony cried, throwing a small boat at Gibbs and crossing his arms over his chest.  
Gibbs lifted him so high that he could give him a sound swat on his bare bottom. "Stop that! You know you're not allowed to throw things."  
Tony began crying. "Ow! That hurt…" He picked up a rubber duck and examined it carefully. "Sorry, for throwing the boat at you", he whispered. He was really tired.  
Gibbs nodded and gave him a hug. He then hurried to wash Tony and now to the worst part; washing Tony's hair. He hated getting his hair washed whenever he was in toddler mode. "Please, I don't want my hair washed!" Tony pleaded, leaning away from Gibbs. This was no fun at all; he was really tired and he didn't want shampoo anywhere near his hair.  
"Sorry, baby. But it needs to be done," Gibbs said and hurried to wash Tony's hair. It broke his heart to hear the pitiful sobs from Tony.  
It seemed to take forever, but finally his hair was clean. He shivered as Gibbs dried him off, and sniffled quietly. Gibbs hurried to diaper him and dress him in his favorite pajamas. He led Tony to the kitchen to get his bottle ready.  
Tony clung to Gibbs. He really wanted his bottle now. He started sucking his thumb, his eyes falling shut once in a while. When the bottle was ready, Gibbs carried the sleepy Tony to his room. He sat down in the rocking chair with Tony in his arms. While he fed him the baby bottle he read Tony's favorite story to him.  
Tony listened to the story as he drank the milk, but he fell asleep before the story was even finished. Gibbs just sat there for awhile with Tony in his arms and enjoyed the father-son moment until his backside ached because he'd been sitting still for so long. He then put Tony in his crib and tucked him in, placing Tony's favorite teddy bear under his left arm.


	8. Chapter 8

**Thanks for all the nice reviews :)**

Hotch woke up early in the morning when he heard Spencer crying. He frowned at the baby monitor. He sounded more upset than he usually did. Probably needed a diaper change. He went into Spencer's room and switched on the light. "Hey, baby, what is it?" he asked, pushing down the rail of the bed.  
"He beat me over and over again! It hurt Daddy! So much!"  
"Who beat you?" Hotch asked concerned, picking him up and carrying him to the small couch in the room. He sat down with Spencer on his lap. "Tell me, baby".  
"The man with many faces!" Spencer sobbed.  
"What man? Spencer, it was just a nightmare. It isn't real," he soothed.  
"No, it was real! He hurt my foot so bad!" Spencer sobbed into Hotch's shoulder.  
Hotch felt like he'd been punched in the gut. Spencer was remembering Tobias Hankel. Hotch rocked him and tried to calm him down. "He is gone, he can never hurt you again," he promised Spencer. "But he's hunting me in my dreams. He puts needles in me and tells me that it'll help, but it doesn't, Daddy - it only makes it worse."  
"I know, I know. But I'll protect you," Hotch said, kissing his hair and stroking his face. Spencer just kept sobbing into Hotch's shoulder.  
Hotch got up with Spencer still in his arms. He grabbed a pacifier from a drawer. He'd bought it a while back, thinking Spencer might need it, but he hadn't used it yet. Usually a bottle was all it took, but this situation called for something more, something that would last longer. He sat back down and held the pacifier up to Spencer's mouth. "Here, open," he said.  
Spencer opened his mouth and gladly accepted the pacifier. It seemed to calm him down and eventually he fell asleep again. Hotch decided to put him on the couch in the living room while he made breakfast. He kept looking out at the couch while flipping the pancakes. Spencer seemed to be sound asleep, no nightmares in sight.

Spencer was actually dreaming something nice. He dreamt about playing with Tony in the park. He smiled contentedly while he was dreaming, still sucking his pacifier.  
Hotch almost felt bad about waking him up, but they needed to have breakfast and get ready to leave. He put Spencer on his chair in the kitchen. He was still sucking on the blue pacifier and didn't seem to want to let it go. "You need to eat, baby. You can have it back afterwards," Hotch said pulling the pacifier out of his mouth.  
Spencer pouted and then rubbed his eyes. "'m not hungry." Spencer mumbled.  
"But I made pancakes," Hotch said encouragingly, knowing it was Spencer's favorite. He cut off a piece of one pancake and held it to Spencer's mouth. Spencer sleepily opened his mouth and when he could taste that it was indeed pancakes, he smiled brightly while eating the pancake that Hotch fed him. He was still too sleepy to feed himself.  
Once satisfied that Spencer had had enough, he gave him the pacifier back and quickly ate his own breakfast. Afterwards he dressed Spencer and put him in the car. "Do you want to bring the pacifier to the to the park today?" Hotch asked him, seeing as he was still sucking on it.  
"The park? We're going to the park?" Spencer asked hopefully, while still having the pacifier in his mouth.  
"Yes, we're meeting Tony and Gibbs there. We are going to spend the day together. It'll be good for you to have someone to play with," Hotch explained.  
Spencer finally took the pacifier out of his mouth and yelled, "Yah! Are we going now?" he asked hopefully.  
"We are. They are probably already there. We are running a little late". Fifteen minutes later, Hotch was pushing Spencer's wheelchair towards the others. "Hello, Gibbs," he greeted.  
Spencer smiled brightly when he saw Tony. He hurried to take his pacifier out of his mouth, which he had put back in when they at their way to the park, and he put it in his pocket for future use.  
Tony saw the pacifier, but didn't comment. "Hey, kiddo. Gibbs brought some dry bread. Wanna feed the duckies with me?" he asked, ruffling Spencer's hair.  
Spencer nodded. He then looked up at Hotch. "Can I get out of this wheelchair? I wanna walk."  
"Yes, you can, but only if you promise to tell me the moment you get tired. We don't want your legs to hurt like they did yesterday, do we?" Hotch helped him out of the chair, and handed him a blanket. "Sit on the blanket when you're feeding the ducks".  
Spencer nodded happily and took the blanket with him. He still walked like a baby who'd only just begun to walk. Hotch looked after him, smiling at how young he seemed. He turned to Gibbs. "So, how are things with Tony? Spencer was a little upset yesterday", he asked. the  
"He's doing fine. A bully was after Spencer and Tony defended him, sadly by slapping the bully. I think both Tony and Spencer were sad that they aren't allowed to play with each other at daycare center." Gibbs then chuckled, "Actually instead of going to the park Tony wanted to go to a bar with Spencer, drinking beer and playing darts."  
Hotch's eyebrows shot up. "Well, that is certainly not happening. Too many things could go wrong there. Though actually, I'm worried about Spencer not being happy when he's in daycare. I don't like him having to be alone there. I don't approve of Tony hitting anyone, but I am happy he is protective of Spencer," Hotch mused.  
"I definitely don't want Tony to hit anyone. That's what I told him. I also had a feeling you wouldn't approve of Spencer playing darts, let alone being in a bar drinking beer, and to be honest neither do I. "

Hotch nodded. "I didn't even like to see him drinking alcohol before the accident. It just felt wrong". He smiled to himself. "I know I am babying him".  
Gibbs smiled. "Tony told me what Spencer told him about his parents. The kid must have had a tough childhood. I have a feeling you're good for him. Did Spencer's father really try to institutionalize him?"  
Hotch sighed. "Yes, he did. Just seeing him in court made me feel so angry, it almost scared me. Like I'd do anything to protect Spencer from him. That man walked out on his little son, left him to care for a sick mother, and then he came back when Spencer was injured, trying to make things worse. He doesn't deserve to call himself a father."  
Gibbs let out a sigh. "No, he doesn't - like Tony's father doesn't deserve that either. He didn't even come to visit his own son when he was infected with pneumonic plague."  
"The plague?" Hotch asked shocked. "And he was a no-show?"

"Sadly yes. He didn't even call to ask how he was doing." Sounded as if Spencer and Tony both had lousy fathers.

"...he has started to call me Daddy, you know," Hotch told Gibbs, a warm feeling spreading in his chest.

Gibbs smiled. "Yes, it makes one proud when your child calls you daddy. I'll never forget when Kelly's first word was 'daddy'." His smile faded when he remembered the loss. Hotch saw the look on Gibbs' face. "You have a daughter?" he asked carefully.  
Gibbs let out a sad sigh. "Had a daughter," he answered sadly. Hotch was shocked. "I'm sorry to hear that. I can't even begin to imagine how awful it must be to lose your child". Just the thought made him feel sick. He had to look toward the lake right away to make sure Spencer was alright.

"Both my wife and daughter were murdered in cold blood." Gibbs shook his head to get the horrible images out of his head.  
Hotch gulped. "I am sorry to hear that. My wife and I divorced before we had children," Hotch said, not knowing what he could possibly say that would comfort the man.  
"It was a hard time. Tony fills out the emptiness, though he'll never be able to replace Kelly and I don't expect him to. He's the son I never had, I just hoped Kelly and my wife Shannon could be here too. Be a sister and a mother to Tony."  
Hotch sighed, knowing the feeling. "I sometimes worry that Spencer needs a maternal presence in his life. I try to let the women of the BAU babysit him sometimes".  
"Yeah, that's a good idea, especially since his own mother can't."  
"Yes. She tries though. They are very close, but she is too sick to really help him." Hotch looked at the boys tossing bread at the ducks.  
"At least she tries."  
"Yes, she certainly does. Should we get the boys an ice cream?" Hotch asked.  
"Yes, let's do that, they are definitely going to be happy, I think."

Hotch went to Spencer and took him by the hand. "Want some ice cream?" he asked.  
Spencer's face lit up. "Yes, please."

They went to an ice cream stand near the pond, and started looking at the different flavors. "Any favourites, Spencer?" Hotch asked.  
Gibbs took Tony's hand. "You want an ice cream too?"  
Tony nodded. Really, he'd rather have a bottle. He was feeling a bit funny.  
They bought the boys ice cream. Gibbs fed Tony the ice cream, while Hotch fed Spencer his.  
Hotch got out a wet wipe to clean Spencer's face. "Hold still," he told him. Spencer tried with all his might to avoid that stupid wet wipe.  
"Spencer, stop that!" Hotch scolded, forcibly wiping his face.  
Spencer started to cry. "Wet wipes feel yucky on the face."  
Sighing, Hotch pulled Spencer into his arms. "I know, baby. Where's your pacifier?" he asked.  
Spencer sniffed. "I-In m-my pocket."  
Hotch found it, and put it into Spencer's mouth. He picked him up and carried him back to the bench where Gibbs and Tony were sitting. They got quite a few funny looks from other people in the park, but Hotch ignored them.  
Tony was sitting on Gibbs' lap and didn't notice the looks strangers gave him and Gibbs was happy that it didn't affect him as much as it did him. He looked with a death glare at them and they looked away like they were afraid that his looks could kill.  
Hotch noticed Gibbs glaring at everyone who dared to look. "Time to take them home?" he asked. "I think Spencer needs a clean diaper and a bottle. He'll need a nap soon as well".  
Gibbs nodded. "The same goes for Tony."  
The drive back was rather uneventful, as Spencer was fast asleep, occasionally suckling on the pacifier. They went to Gibbs' house. They were going to have dinner together that night.

When they arrived at Gibbs house both boys were sound asleep in the back of each guardians cars.  
Hotch got out of the car and lifted Spencer out as well. He carried him to the front door, waiting for Gibbs open it. Gibbs opened his door and carried Tony inside, holding the door open for Hotch to enter with Spencer.  
"He's out cold, pretty much. Do you have somewhere I can put him?" Hotch asked Gibbs.  
"You can lay him on the couch, so you can keep an eye on him. There is a bed beside Tony's crib, but I don't want to risk the boy falling out of bed and hurting himself.

Hotch nodded and placed Spencer on the couch, covering him with a plaid. He went to the kitchen and waited for Gibbs to return.

Gibbs gently changed Tony and tucked him into his crib and went to the kitchen to start dinner.  
"Is there anything I can help with?" Hotch asked, looking at Gibbs as he pulled various items from the fridge and cupboards. Gibbs told him what he could help him with, and they started to prepare dinner. Gibbs was interrupted by the ringing of his phone. He prayed that it wasn't about a new case. To his relief it was Abby. "What can I help you with Abby?"  
"Oh, hi there Gibbs. I was wondering if I could come over? I bought some really cool toys online, and since I can't really keep them for myself, I figured I should give them to Tony," she said.  
"Actually, we have guests. Tony's new friend Spencer and his guardian."  
"Oh! Well, I am sorry to bother you then. It's just that McGee is really busy pretending to be an Elf Lord online and Palmer is...well, you know, Palmer. I was just bored," she said, pouting.

Gibbs didn't need to think long before he said, "Come over for dinner. Hotch and I just begun preparing it while the boys are taking their naps. I'm sure Tony would love to introduce you to his new friend."  
"Really? Oh, Gibbs, you're the best!" she screeched loudly.  
"Yes, really. You'd better drive safely, or else!"  
Abby rolled her eyes. "Yes, Daddy, I'll be good," she said, getting ready to hang up.  
"You'd better!" Gibbs said firmly.

He then turned his attention to Hotch. "That was my forensic specialist, though she's more like a daughter to me," he said while shrugging. "She's coming over for dinner, she was bored. Well, more lonely than bored, I guess."  
Hotch raised an eyebrow. "I see. Are you very close with all of your team members?" he asked curiously, thinking of his own team. They were practically his family.  
"Yes I am, but for some reason I'm closer to Tony and Abby. You could say they are my favorites."  
Hotch smiled. "I know the feeling," he said glancing at Spencer who was still asleep. "I think we all feel that way about Spencer, though".  
Gibbs smiled while he too was glancing over at Spencer. "He's a sweet boy."  
"He really is. It's not fair that he's had to go through so much. I can't believe he remains so gentle and innocent after all he's seen," Hotch mused.  
Gibbs nodded sadly. "Yeah, I know the feeling," Gibbs said, while thinking of Tony.  
Suddenly the door bell rang. Hotch followed Gibbs to the door and was surprised at the look of the young woman behind it. He'd never been particularly fond of the Goth-look himself, though Prentiss seemed to have a past involving lots of dark clothes and make-up. The woman was practically bouncing with excitement.

"Gibbs!" Abby cried happily, throwing herself at him. Gibbs hugged her back. "Hey Abbs."  
Her sunny personality reminded Hotch strongly of Garcia. He extended his hand to her. "Hello, I am Aaron Hotchner. You can call me Hotch", he introduced himself.  
"Ooh, I will, _Hotch. _Abby Sciuto, but call me Abby." She leaned toward Gibbs. "You didn't tell me he was so good looking. All tall, dark, brooding and handsome," she said in a stage-whisper, smirking at the way Hotch's cheeks turned slightly pink.

"Abby, why don't you go wake up Tony. Dinner is almost ready."  
"Sure." She ran up the stairs, a bag of toys clutched in her hand. Hotch looked after her, still a little embarrassed. "She's um...a very cheerful person. A lot like Garcia. You've met her, right?" he asked Gibbs.  
"Yes, I have." Gibbs smiled. "And yes, you're right - she is... don't let Abby's looks fool you. She's really a very sweet girl under all the Goth- black colors."  
"It would seem so. I'd better wake up Spencer now as well". Hotch crouched down next to the couch and started stroking Spencer's cheek carefully. "Baby, wake up. Dinner's ready," he said softly.  
Spencer rubbed his sleepy eyes, but smiled brightly when he noticed who'd just woken him up. "Daddy!"  
Hotch smiled back at him. "Hey there. Are you hungry?" he asked, pulling him into a sitting position. Before Spencer was able to answer, his stomach did for him as it growled loudly.  
Hotch chuckled and picked him up. "I'll take that as a yes". Spencer was surprisingly clingy.

Spencer then first noticed he was at a place he'd never been before. "Where are we Daddy?"Hotch bounced him a little. "We're at Gibbs' place. We went to the park, remember? Abby is waking Tony, and then we'll all have dinner," he said. Spencer's face lit up. "Really?" He then looked around. "Where is Tony?"

"He is upstairs. He just had a nap, like you. His other friend and colleague, Abby, is joining us for dinner too," Hotch explained.

Spencer was happy about Tony coming down soon, but he wasn't so sure about Tony's friend Abby. What if she didn't like him?

Abby ran down the stairs, dragging Tony behind her. "Hi, I'm Abby. Aren't you a cute thing?" she squealed, pinching Spencer's cheek when she reached him. Spencer looked shyly at her. "H-hi I-I'm Spencer." He then noticed Tony. "Hi Tony!" He said smiling brightly.

"Hi! Abby is really cool, Spencer," Tony said, when he noticed that Spencer seemed shy around her.

Hotch carried Spencer into the kitchen and tried to set him down on a chair next to Abby, but he seemed apprehensive. Spencer knew it was silly, but he wanted to sit on Hotch's lap. He was kind of a little scared of Abby, even though Tony said he shouldn't be. Hotch sighed and placed Spencer on his lap instead, wrapping his arms around him. "It's okay, Spencer," he whispered in his ear. Gibbs helped load food onto their plates, and Hotch started feeding Spencer.

Gibbs sat across from Abby and Tony. He turned his attention to Tony. "Did you have a great nap?"

"Yeah, fine. I wasn't really all that tired, so I didn't actually need a.._nap_...But you bored me to sleep in the car," Tony said, looking at Abby out of the corner of his eye. He hoped she believed it.

Gibbs just shook his head and loaded some food onto Tony's plate.

"No string beans!" Tony protested. He hated those. All green and icky.

Gibbs just looked firmly at him in a way that warned him not to make a scene, or else he could risk being reprimanded in front of their guests. And Gibbs wouldn't even hesitate to give him a spanking right there and then.

Spencer was so hungry he ate what Hotch fed him. Tony squirmed. He knew what that look meant. He decided not to protest, but instead started sneaking his vegetables onto Abby's plate when no one was looking.

Spencer noticed and he laughed inwardly. Tony was really sneaky. He wished he could be that sneaky too. Spencer studied Abby more closely, and then he asked her, "Did it hurt?"

Abby looked up. "Did what hurt?" she asked.

"When you got the tattoos. Did it hurt badly?" He asked worriedly.

"Oh. No, not really. Why, do you want one?" she asked, ignoring the way Hotch's eyebrows shot up. Spencer shook his head frantically. "Noooo. I hate needles."

"He does," Hotch confirmed, and tightened his arms around Spencer. "And besides - you are not, under any circumstances, allowed to get a tattoo or anything like that," he told Spencer.

"Don't worry, Daddy. I'd rather get a haircut and a very short one at that."

"You are not getting that either. Now, open up. You have to eat your string beans," Hotch said.

"But I want my haircut and I don't want the string beans," Spencer whined.

"And you don't want a spanking for throwing a tantrum either, right?" Hotch replied sternly.

Spencer pouted. He wished he could sneak the string beans onto Abby's plate too, but sadly Hotch was feeding him. Abby snickered. That Spencer kid was really cute, but also kind of funny when he pouted. She looked down just in time to see Tony throwing a string bean onto her plate. "Hey!"

Spencer reluctantly opened his mouth, because there was no way he wanted a spanking here, and with an audience too. Hotch fed him the rest of his vegetables, while Tony and Abby started arguing and throwing food at each other.

"Enough!" Gibbs yelled at Abby and Tony.

Abby looked up, startled. "But Gibbs! Tony started it," she complained, elbowing him in the side. Tony cringed and pushed her back.

"Tony, go to your room! I'll be up in a minute!"

Gibbs then looked firmly at Abby. "And you go to the guest room! I'll come to you as soon as I'm done with Tony."

Abby pouted. "Why? Gibbs, I didn't do anything". Hotch watched the exchange with amusement. Even Spencer seemed a little fascinated.

"Still, it takes two to fight. Now go!" He said firmly.


	9. Chapter 9

**Thanks to the reviewers :)**

Abby got up and went to the guest room at a slow pace. Hotch looked at Gibbs, who was pinching the bridge of his nose. "Are they always like this?" Hotch asked.

Gibbs let out a sigh. "Yeah, pretty much. Sorry about this."

Hotch nodded. "I'll just stay here with Spencer".

Gibbs nodded and went up to the wayward kids; something he wasn't looking forward to.

As soon he came into Tony's room he said, "You'd better behave now, or I'll be forced to send Hotch and Spencer home."

"Please, I'm sorry. Don't send them home. I wanna play more with Spencer!" Tony whined.

"You'd better behave then AND eat your string beans," Gibbs said firmly, and then he took a seat on a chair. "Come here, Tony."

Tony looked at him pleadingly. "Please, I don't want to".

"It's either that, or you're going straight back to bed and Abby can play with Spencer instead."

Tony reluctantly got up and went to Gibbs. "Please", he tried once more.

Gibbs just hurried to get Tony over his lap, and gave him ten firm swats.

"Ow!" Tony began crying, even though it didn't hurt very badly.

"Behave now!" Swat. "You are going to eat your string beans!" Swat. "Now I want you to be a good boy for the rest of the day or you're not allowed to play with Spencer after daycare either for a week!" Gibbs then gave him five final swats.

The heat was starting to build in his backside."Ouch! Dad, please! It hurts. I'm sorry, I'll be good," he wept.

Gibbs got Tony to sit on his lap and soothed him. "Shh, shh. It's over now."

"I'm sorry," Tony repeated, and leaned into him.

"You're forgiven, but you'd better remember when we get back down. And I want you to apologize to Hotch and Spencer for acting like that at the table."

"Okay," Tony replied sullenly. He got off of Gibbs' lap, and sat on his bed sucking his thumb.

"Stay here while I talk to Abby and after that I'll come back and get you."

Tony nodded, and curled up on the bed.

oOo

"I'm going to get my hair cut whether you like it or not!" Spencer said firmly.

"Spencer, I said no," Hotch replied.

Spencer got off of Hotch's lap and sat down on the floor with a huff. "I want my haircut! It's my hair not yours!"

"Spencer! You will stop this immediately, if you want to stay here and play with Tony," Hotch scolded.

"But I want my haircut," Spencer said in a softer voice.

"And you're not getting it. I already explained why, and I am not changing my mind. If you're not off the floor on the count of three, I am going to spank you. One.."

Spencer wrapped his arms around himself. "It's my hair."

Hotch sighed. "..Two.."

Spencer turned his back to Hotch. "My hair!"

"Three! Okay; that's it, come here," Hotch said pulling Spencer off the floor.

"No! Please, Daddy! I'm sorry!" Spencer started to cry.

"Too late now," Hotch replied, forcing Spencer over his knee. He gave him a hard smack when he kept struggling. "Stop it, right now!" Another swat landed on top of Spencer's padded bottom. Hotch decided that ten swats would be enough. "I don't want to hear anything else about your hair, do you understand?"

Spencer sniffled. He thought that he'd better keep quiet about his hair, at least for a little while. But he wouldn't forget it until he'd gotten the haircut he wanted.

"I said, do you understand?" Hotch prompted, smacking harder.

"OW! Yes!"

He gave him the last two swats, and turned Spencer over. "Are you going to be a good boy now?" he asked him. Spencer wrapped his arms around Hotch's neck. "I'm sorry, Daddy. I promise I'll be good."

Hotch smiled. "Okay, you're forgiven. Daddy loves you, you know that?" He held him closer.

Spencer shrugged. "Spencer?" Hotch asked, when there was no verbal reply. He was getting worried.

"Will you leave me like my father and the other father left?"

Hotch's chest hurt. "No, Spencer, I will never leave. You're stuck with me, okay?" he said.

"''k"

"Good. And don't you forget that." Spencer nodded and slowly put his thumb into his mouth.

Hotch dug around in Spencer's pocket and pulled out his pacifier. "Here, baby," he said holding it up to Spencer's mouth.

Spencer pulled his thumb back out and accepted the pacifier happily.

oOo

Abby was sitting in the guest room, feeling very nervous. She hadn't meant to start a food fight or anything, and she knew Tony wasn't really well. This was all her fault, and Gibbs would be so mad. She tried to hold back tears, but it was difficult.

Gibbs went inside the guest room, and when he saw Abby in tears, his heart broke. "Come here," he said softly. Abby threw herself at him. "I'm so sorry, Gibbs! I don't know why I did that. I just forget that Tony is not really himself at the moment. I didn't mean to."

Gibbs hugged her. "You'd better remember that in the future. No more food fights. Your hear?" She nodded against his chest. "I promise".

"Good, but as punishment, you're staying here over night," Gibbs said, knowing it wasn't really a punishment as Abby loved staying over. It was so hard for him to punish her, maybe because he wondered if Kelly would have been like her if she was still alive.

She smiled at him, and then frowned. "You didn't spank Tony, did you?"

"I did."

"But it was my fault! Why are you letting me off the hook?" she wondered.

"Tony started it and he knew what he was doing, as he wasn't in toddler mode. And besides, I'm not letting you off the hook. You wanted to go to the Day of the Dead concert this evening, right?"

Abby shrugged. "I guess". She started crying again. "I feel horrible about all of this".

"You're not off the hook, as you're not allowed to go to the Day of the Dead concert," Gibbs said firmly.

"Okay," Abby sighed. A nagging voice in the back of her head wondered if Gibbs liked Tony better and felt like he was really his son, while she was just someone on his team.  
Gibbs lifted Abby's chin, "What's with that sad face?"  
"I know Tony is more like your real child than I am," she choked out.  
"Hey. None of that. He's more of a son to me, where as you are more of a daughter to me. It's just the way Tony is right now, he needs boundaries. Is it because I spank him and not you? Do you need me to spank you for you to believe that I love you as my daughter? If that's so I can give you a spanking."  
Abby squirmed. She didn't really want a spanking, but she didn't want Tony to get punished more harshly than her either. And she didn't know if she really believed that Gibbs loved her as much as he did Tony.  
"Do you? Think really hard about it, because if you say yes I won't be easy on you and it will be the first time I'll spank you, but not the last time."  
Abby sighed, and looked anywhere but at Gibbs. "Okay. I deserve it". She blushed. Gibbs guided her to the bed, where he sat down and got Abby across his knee. He started giving her gentle swats that got firmer and firmer after each swat.  
Abby's heart pounded really fast, and at first she hardly felt anything, but then it started to hurt. "Ouch, okay Gibbs. That's enough," she cried.  
"I say when it's enough!" Gibbs said while swatting harder. "I love you Abigail! As if you were my own daughter! Never forget that!" Swat!  
"Ow, ow, ow, GIBBS! I get it, please stop! I'm sorry I doubted you," she pleaded.  
"I told you I wouldn't be gentle. I won't stop till I can hear you really believe me," Gibbs said between hard swats. Abby started sobbing. "I do believe you! Sorry..." she wailed.  
When Gibbs could hear she really believed him he gave her two final swats, but to the sensitive under curves, so she wouldn't forget when she took a seat. Abby sobbed harder, and really hoped it was over now. Maybe it had been a really stupid idea to push Gibbs into doing this. Gibbs got Abby to sit on his lap on a soft pillow. He then comforted her. "Shh, shh. It's okay, it's okay now."  
Abby clung to Gibbs. "I'm sorry. I'll never do anything bad again, I swear!" she cried. Her backside hurt and felt really warm.  
"You'd better not, or you'll feel my hand again. Now we'd better go get Tony and go back down to our guests before they begin to wonder where we are."  
Abby wiped her tears away. "Okay," she said and got up. She vowed to herself that she'd never break any rules ever again.  
"And I expect you, like I do Tony, to apologize to Hotch and Spencer for your behavior," Gibbs said firmly.  
Abby's eyes widened. "But, Gibbs! I'm not a little kid, I don't want to do that," she complained.  
"Do you want another round with my hand?" Gibbs asked firmly.  
Abby whimpered. "No, sorry. I'll apologize". She hung her head and left the room.  
"Wise choice," Gibbs said while he followed her. He then went to get Tony and they all went back to the kitchen. "Hotch, my kids here have something to tell you and Spencer."  
Spencer was sucking happily on his pacifier. He was so much in toddler mode that he didn't feel any embarrassment at Gibbs, Tony and Abby seeing him with it. Hotch readjusted Spencer on his lap and looked at Gibbs' 'kids' expectantly. They had both been crying, and judging from the sounds he'd heard from upstairs, there was no doubt what had happened. Spencer's face was also still a little wet after he'd been crying when he got spanked. Gibbs pushed Tony and Abby, to make them start talking. Abby cleared her throat first. "Ah, Hotch...and Spencer. Sorry about before. I'll be good from now on," she promised.

Tony scowled at Gibbs. He looked out the window, and ground out, "sorry".  
Gibbs gave Tony a hard swat on his already sore backside. "Look at them and mean it."  
Tony yelped, and decided to look at them. "Sorry," he said, as the tears begun again. Hotch smiled at them. "It quite alright, as long as it doesn't happen again," he said.  
After Tony and Abby had finally eaten their string beans, Tony and Spencer were allowed to play in Tony's room. "Abby, do you want to play with us?" Spencer asked shyly.  
"Sure," Abby replied and sat on the floor next to them, wincing slightly. At least Tony had been wearing a diaper, and he seemed to be over it by now. "What are we playing?" she asked Spencer.  
Spencer shrugged. "Do you have any great ideas as to what we could play?" Spencer asked Abby.  
"Hmm, I bought these really cool dolls online..." Abby began excitedly, and started pulling weird looking dolls out of a bag. Tony frowned at them.

"Dolls?" he asked skeptically.  
Spencer shook his head frantically. "No dolls. Please!" Spencer was almost in tears.  
Was Abby going to threaten him too if he didn't play dolls with her?  
Surprised, Abby looked at Spencer. "But they are just dolls," she said. Had she missed something? Tony was sending her a death glare. She tried handing Spencer a doll. "They're not dangerous or anything," she said forlornly. Spencer started to cry. "I'm not a girl. Please don't tell Daddy that I do naughty things to you, because I don't want to play dolls with you," Spencer pleaded between sobs. He was afraid that Hotch would believe her if she did, and he was especially afraid that Gibbs would.  
"What?" Abby replied horrified.

Hotch heard crying from upstairs and didn't hesitate a second before he ran toward the room. It sounded like Spencer. He slammed the door open and saw Spencer crying on the floor. Spencer just kept crying and Tony watched as Hotch scooped him up and glared at them.

"Look, nothing happened. Abbs just accidentally asked Spencer if he wanted to play with dolls, and it brought back some bad memories for him". Tony then proceeded to explain to Abby what had transpired at the daycare center. Hotch was visibly relieved and tried to calm Spencer down.  
"I didn't do it; honest, Daddy!" Spencer sobbed into his 'dad's' neck.  
"Shh, Spencer, no one is saying that you did anything," he soothed. Abby was crying. She really hadn't meant to make Spencer sad.

Gibbs heard what Tony told Abby. He hurried to Abby to comfort her, and then whispered, "Why don't you go down and warm a bottle for Tony and Spencer. You can feed Spencer his bottle, and then I'm sure he will know that you weren't going to hurt him."  
Abby dried her tears and smiled at him. "Okay, I'll do that," she said happily. She went downstairs to get the bottles ready. Hotch followed with Spencer on his hip. Gibbs took Tony hand and they went down to the kitchen. Spencer noticed Abby was making two bottles. Was she going to make one for him?  
When the bottles were ready, she handed one to Gibbs and turned to Spencer with the other. "Come on, I'll feed you," she said, reaching out her arms. Hotch passed Spencer to her, and she managed to carry him just fine. He wasn't very heavy, at least not when she only had to carry him a short distance. Spencer was a little worried.

Abby sat down with Spencer on her lap. "There. Come on, lie down," she encouraged. He did as asked, accepted the bottle and started to suckle.  
Gibbs took Tony's had and guided him to the recliner in the living room. He made a sign for Hotch to follow them, so he wouldn't sit alone in the kitchen. Hotch followed them and sat down in a chair, observing Abby as she fed Spencer. She was good with him; very gentle and loving.

Abby leaned toward Spencer. "I'm sorry about earlier. I'd never do anything to hurt you," she said. Spencer let out a relieved sigh. Abby held the bottle at a higher angle, as it was almost empty. Tony had nearly finished his bottle as well. He really hoped Abby wouldn't tell McGee and Ziva about the bottles, though.  
When Spencer had emptied the bottle, he smiled at Abby. "Thanks." He then looked sad. "Sorry for acting the way I did."  
Abby petted his hair. "That's okay; I know you can't always help it". Hotch cleared his throat, and she noticed him standing in front of her, holding a diaper bag. "Can I borrow Spencer now? He needs a diaper change," he said. Hotch picked him up, and carried him upstairs to use Tony's changing table.  
Gibbs smiled at Abby. "See, it looks like it helped. Poor kid, I can understand why he was so scared. Hope you can help him see that not all girls are bad."  
Abby nodded, her pigtails bouncing. "Yeah, don't want him to be scared of us all".

A few minutes later, Abby and Tony went upstairs and they all started playing together. Not with dolls, though. Hotch and Gibbs decided to have a cup of coffee downstairs.

oOo

"I really want that haircut. Do you two have a good idea how I can get one? Sadly, Hotch won't let me."  
Abby and Tony looked at each other. "Kid, I really think it'd be a bad idea for you to disobey him like that," Tony said. Abby nodded in agreement. "If you do it, he will get really angry," she added. Spencer let out a sad sigh. "Okay. But I want one soon. And I will find a way to do it."  
"It's your butt," Tony said, chuckling.  
Spencer just shrugged.

oOo

Downstairs Gibbs handed Hotch a cup of coffee. "Thanks. Well, at least we solved one crisis!" Hotch chuckled.  
"You can say that again. Poor Spencer. And not to mention Abby. She didn't know what was happening."  
Hotch shook his head and smiled a little. "Kids," he said exasperatedly.  
Gibbs laughed. "Yeah, kids. By the way when I came down with Abby and Tony after I'd had a 'talk' with them, I noticed Spencer had been crying. What was that about?"  
"Spencer just keeps bugging me about getting a haircut. He doesn't want people to think he's a girl, or something. I've never doubted that he was a boy though. Anyway, he decided to throw a tantrum, and I gave him a spanking," Hotch explained.  
Gibbs nodded. "Then I guess your hand is sore too."  
Hotch smiled sadly. "Yes. I don't think I could ever use anything but my hand, though. He seems so fragile, even though he's so stubborn too sometimes".  
"I'm not fond of using anything other than my hand either. It's good that Spencer has you."  
"Tony is fortunate to have you as well." The two drank coffee in silence for a while. In silence...Hotch looked at Gibbs concerned. "Listen to that".  
Gibbs noticed it too."Should we be worried about the silence?"  
Hotch nodded slowly. "That can't be good," he said. They both walked upstairs and braced themselves for anything as they opened the door.  
Spencer sat beside Abby and Tony sat on her other side, as they were listening to her telling them a story. Hotch smiled at the way Spencer's eyes kept falling shut and then he would sit up straighter and shake his head until it happened again. Gibbs looked over at Tony and could see that he had a hard time staying awake, just like Spencer.  
"Well, Spencer. I think it's time to say goodbye. We need to get you home, so I can put you to bed," Hotch said, lifting Spencer off the floor.  
"I'm not sleepy," Spencer said while trying not to yawn.  
"Sure you're not," Hotch smiled, patting his bottom. The boys were so tired, they could hardly say goodbye to each other, and Abby was starting to feel a bit drained too.  
"Bye Abby, nice to meet you," Spencer said.  
"Bye, Spencer. Hope to see you around". Hotch nodded at Gibbs. "Goodbye. We had a great time today," he said.  
" I did too, and I'm sure Tony did as well."  
"Bye Tony. Bye Uncle Gibbs," Spencer said without noticing he'd called Gibbs 'uncle'.  
Hotch chuckled. Gibbs smiled proudly and ruffled Spencer's hair. "Bye, Spencer."  
Spencer was practically asleep in Hotch's arms when they reached the car. Hotch buckled him in, and put the pacifier in his mouth. He turned the heat up inside the car, not wanting Spencer to catch a cold, and then they drove home.

Gibbs carried the sleepy Tony to his room and changed him and dressed him in his James Bond pajamas. He hurried to help him brush his teeth. Tony hated that stupid tooth brush, but he was too tired to argue. In the other bathroom, Abby was brushing her teeth as well.  
Gibbs then carried Tony to his crib and tucked him in. He kissed his forehead. "Goodnight, son. Don't let the bed bugs bite."  
"Bed bugs..?" Tony slurred, and turned over, putting his thumb in his mouth.  
Gibbs smiled and turned off the light and silently left the room.  
Abby was watching the news in the living room, trying to convince herself she wasn't tired enough to go to bed yet. "Is Tony asleep?" she asked, as Gibbs walked in.  
"Yes, he is." Gibbs sat beside Abby and let her use his chest as a pillow.  
"Do you think he'll ever be back to normal?" Abby asked carefully.  
Gibbs let out a sad sigh. "I hope so, but you know what the doctors said; it may be permanent."  
Abby sighed. "I really like this Tony, but sometimes I miss the old one too".  
"Yeah me too. Me too."

oOo

Hotch changed Spencer while he was still asleep and put him to bed. He left the night light on, and turned on the baby monitor. He decided to read the newspaper, and then go to bed early.


	10. Chapter 10

**Thanks to the reviewers. You rock :)**

One week later, Hotch was busy cleaning the house. Gibbs was bringing Tony and Abby over for a barbecue later. Spencer was playing on the rug by himself. "I have to go buy some things for tonight. You are coming with me," Hotch said, fetching Spencer's coat.  
"Ahh, please - can't I just stay here?"  
"By yourself? No." Hotch helped him up and put his coat on him.  
"I'll be good, I promise."  
"Yes, you will," Hotch said dragging him outside.  
Spencer pouted. "I can be home alone."  
"No, you can't. We've talked about this several times already. Get in the car," Hotch said. He had a lot to do today, and had no patience left. Spencer reluctantly did as he was told, but not without a pout. He was cranky because his legs hurt after his two hours of torturous physical therapy last Friday.  
When they arrived at the store, Spencer didn't want to come inside. "Spencer... Stop it," Hotch said. He could feel a headache coming. Maybe he would be okay on his own for five minutes. Provided he stayed in the car.

Spencer stayed dutifully in the car while Hotch was in the store. Suddenly he could hear a commotion. He noticed two people fighting. One of them was wearing a uniform. He peed in his diaper when he could hear a shot and saw the man in the uniform fall down to the ground. The unsub ran away. Spencer noticed the blood. There was so much blood. Spencer had flashbacks to all the other horrible things he'd witnessed throughout his short life, and he started to sob.

Hotch heard a gunshot coming from outside the store, and his heart nearly stopped. '_Spencer!_' He dropped everything he had and pushed through all the other customers to get outside. There had only been one gunshot, and Hotch was almost ashamed that the only thing he felt right when he saw the dead marine in the parking lot, was relief. He was not Spencer. He ran to the car and found Spencer there in tears. Hotch realized that he must have seen everything.  
Spencer pounced on Hotch and sobbed into his neck. "He hurt him Daddy! The bad man hurt him!"  
Hotch frantically tried to calm Spencer down and call his team at the same time. Morgan picked up.  
"Hi Hotch, please don't tell me there is a case. Is Spencer I can hear crying? What's wrong with him?" Morgan asked worriedly.  
"I'm afraid so, but maybe it won't be our case. I left Spencer in the parking lot while I was shopping, and he's just witnessed a marine being killed. Just get everybody together, and get here fast. I need to call Gibbs. It's definitely his case."  
Morgan let out a sad sigh. "Why is this always happening to pretty boy? I'll get them together don't worry. Even if it's not our case, Spencer will need us all."  
"Thank you," Hotch said and hung up with a sigh. Why _were_ these things always happening to Spencer? He dialed Gibbs' number.  
"Gibbs! This better be good. It's Sunday." Gibbs said without noticing it was Hotch that had called him.  
"Gibbs," Hotch said in a tone of voice that would immediately convey that this was indeed a serious matter. "Spencer just witnessed a marine being shot in a parking lot".  
"..."

"Is Spencer okay? What am I saying? Of course he's not. The killer didn't hurt him right?"

Gibbs asked, worried about Spencer's safety.  
"No, he didn't, thank God. But he's is pretty shocked. My team is on their way." He told Gibbs the exact location, while he rocked Spencer, who was wailing by now. "I really gotta go now. Spencer needs me," Hotch said.  
"Okay. I'll call my team and we'll be there as soon as possible."  
Gibbs hung up and hurried to call his team.

Hotch brought Spencer to the back seat of the car. It would be easier to comfort him there. Spencer kept a firm grip on Hotch, afraid he was going to lose him.  
"Shh, baby, I'm right here. It'll be alright, it'll be alright," Hotch soothed. Spencer was really in baby-mode now. I almost seemed like it was worse than it had been right after the accident.

At the crime scene strangers had gathered around the police, and the police made sure they didn't come close enough to the scene to ruin anything. Gibbs and Ducky were the first ones on scene from the NCIS team. Ducky hurried to process the body. Gibbs went to Hotch. Then Ziva and McGee arrived. Gibbs instructed them on what to do before he poked his head into Hotch's car.  
"Hey. Thank God you're here. I think I need to get him home soon," Hotch said, nodding towards Spencer.  
Gibbs looked sadly at Hotch. "Sorry, but we need to get him to NCIS headquarters. We need to talk to him, so we can find out how much he saw."  
Hotch suddenly felt overwhelmingly protective of the young man in his arms. "Is that really necessary? Can't you see that he is upset?" he hissed.  
"Yes, I can and I'm sorry... Tell you what. I can go with you to your home and when my team is done here they can come afterwards to talk to him there. Ducky can take a look at Spencer to make sure he's alright."  
Hotch smiled at him thankfully. "That would be great". Just then an SUV pulled up, and all five remaining members of the BAU came out.  
They showed their badges to the police and the NCIS agents and were let through.  
"Morgan! We're over here!" Hotch called, as it appeared that Morgan was about to throttle whoever stood between him and his baby-brother.  
"Ahh, kid. Why is this always happening to you?" Morgan asked as he stroked the boy's hair.  
Hotch sighed sadly. "Morgan, can you and Garcia come home with us? Prentiss, JJ and Rossi can handle this. I'll need to give a statement later as well, and Spencer needs all the support he can get."  
"Sure." Morgan said. Garcia looked inside and she was in tears. "Ahh, poor baby."  
Hotch asked Morgan to drive and soon they were back at the house. "If you two start warming a bottle, I'll just go change him," Hotch said.  
Morgan hurried to warm a bottle while Garcia followed Hotch so she could help him if needed.

Gibbs called his team to check if there was any news. McGee picked up. "Um, Boss?" he answered distractedly. He was reading a file on the marine who'd been killed.  
"Any news?"  
"Err, well. He's a marine," McGee began, shuffling his papers around.  
"Work faster, McGee!" Gibbs wanted the case solved without using Spencer as a witness.  
McGee cringed. "Yes, Boss".  
"Send Ducky to Agent Hotchner's house ASAP!"  
"I will, Boss. Gotta go, Boss," McGee said and hung up. He then asked Ducky to go to Agent Hotchner's house.  
As Ducky was done processing the body, at least until it got to autopsy, he hurried to Hotch's house.

oOo

In the nursery Spencer was still screaming. Hotch handed him over to Garcia, who was sitting on the small couch in the room. "I have to go get some diapers from the bathroom," he told her. Garcia held Spencer close. His long fingers started unbuttoning her blouse. "Honey?" she asked him nervously.  
Spencer looked pleadingly at her, and made a sucking sound.

"Oh...oh! I'm sorry baby, but I don't have milk," Garcia said desperately. Spencer then started to wail even more.  
"Oh dear, oh dear," Garcia muttered. She found herself wishing she had milk, so she could comfort him.

As soon as Morgan was done with the bottle he hurried up to the nursery. "Here baby-girl."  
Garcia looked up with her shirt buttons half undone and tears in her eyes. "Thank God, it's ready?" she asked. Morgan just raised his eyebrows, not daring to ask why half of her shirt buttons were undone.  
Garcia gratefully accepted the bottle from him, and started to feed Spencer. She hoped he didn't feel that she'd rejected him. Spencer accepted the bottle and started to suckle greedily, but he couldn't understand why his mommy didn't want to give him what he really wanted.  
Hotch came back into the room with the diapers. He too noticed Garcia's shirt. He should probably ask Ducky about this, he figured.  
Spencer was so exhausted from crying that he fell asleep before the bottle was empty.  
There was a knock on the door and Hotch went to open it, while Morgan and Garcia tucked Spencer in. It was Gibbs' friend and colleague, Ducky.  
"Are you Agent Hotchner?"  
"I am. Spencer is asleep at the moment, but we can go over what we know first," Hotch said as Morgan and Garcia came into the living room.  
Ducky nodded. "I'm Dr. Donald Mallard you can call me Ducky," he said while entering the house.  
"Call me Hotch," Hotch replied leading him to the couch.  
"How is the poor boy?"

Hotch looked at the coffee table. "Not very well. He seems even…younger. Maybe worse than he was right after the accident," Hotch said softly. Spencer really didn't need this kind of set-back right now.  
"I see. Let's hope it's just a coping mechanism. Hopefully he'll be back to his 'old self' when he wakes up."  
"I hope so as well. He was trying to open Garcia's shirt before," Hotch said, gesturing to Garcia, who then blushed. "Yes, he's never done that before," she said.  
"It's a basic instinct. Wanting comfort from his 'mummy'."  
Hotch nodded. "So basically a reaction to the shock."

Garcia fidgeted on the couch. "Should I have let him? What if I hurt him more by not giving him what he needed?" she asked, tears making her eyes glassy.  
Ducky nodded at Hotch's answer. Then he turned his attention to Garcia. "No, my dear. As you don't have any milk he'd just have been even more confused and hurt."  
Garcia nodded tearfully, and leaned closer to Morgan. Morgan wrapped his arms around Garcia and comforted her, as well as he could.  
"In the next few days...is there something I should do? He might get nightmares," Hotch asked.  
"Give him what he needs." He looked over at Garcia, "At least what you are able to give him."

Garcia nodded. "You can call me anytime," she told Hotch. Maybe Spencer would need more of a maternal presence than he usually did. Hotch nodded.

oOo

Rossi, Prentiss and JJ helped Ziva and McGee solve the case. They were all hoping they could get the guy without needing Spencer's help. So far it looked like it was a jealous ex-boyfriend who'd snapped and killed the new boyfriend, who he perceived had taken over his place.  
Prentiss was arguing with McGee, because he was skeptical of the whole profiling-business. Thankfully, there were two other eye-witnesses, and they were able to recount what had happened.

After a few hours they were able to catch the murderer with the help of the other eye-witnesses, and they all went to Hotch's house.  
Hotch greeted everyone, but then he heard crying from the nursery. "Excuse me," he said, all but running to the nursery. Spencer was awake and clearly upset.  
"Daddy! Daddy!"  
"I'm right here!" Hotch hurriedly picked him up. "I'm right here, baby".  
"He hurt him, Daddy. H-he was bleeding really badly."  
"It's okay. We've caught the bad man now. It'll be okay," Hotch soothed, carrying Spencer into the living room. "Gibbs' friend Ducky needs to look you over, okay?" he said, sitting on the couch with Spencer on his lap.  
"Why?"  
"Just to make sure you're alright. It has been a stressful day for you," Hotch said.  
"No. No doctors. Me okay," Spencer sniffed.

Gibbs went to Hotch and whispered into his ear, "Should I call Abby and ask her to bring Tony? Maybe they can both help calm Spencer down."  
"Yes, please do that". Garcia brought a bottle for Spencer.  
Gibbs nodded and called Abby. She promised to come with Tony right away. Hotch fed Spencer the bottle, rocking him softly. Garcia and Morgan sat down next to them. "He'll be okay, right?" Garcia asked Morgan.  
"In due time... I hope."

Ducky went to Spencer and started to look him over gently, while he was drinking his milk from the bottle. Hotch kept Spencer distracted, and soon Ducky was done. "Well?" Hotch asked him.  
"His blood pressure is a little too high. That needs to be monitored. It's very important to keep him calm. Other than that he's physically alright except for the remaining problems from his accident."  
Hotch nodded. "Alright, I'll try to keep him calm," he said.  
Ducky gave him a bottle of sedatives. "Only use them when he's so out of it that you're not able to calm him down." Hotch's eyes widened. "Okay," he said. He really didn't like the idea of feeding Spencer sedatives. Garcia and Morgan looked at him sadly. Obviously, they were not fond of the idea either. Ducky noticed. "Let's hope you won't need to give him those."  
Hotch nodded. "Yes, let us hope that," he agreed. Spencer was looking at him absently. It worried him a great deal. It was as if he was barely paying attention to his surroundings, choosing instead to focus on his daddy's face. Spencer played with one of the buttons on Hotch's shirt. He didn't try to open his shirt; he just played with the button while he was studying Hotch's face.  
Hotch stroked his cheek. "What is it, baby? Do you want something?" he asked. Spencer shook his head and kept playing with the button and suckling at the bottle.  
"Maybe he just wants you to hold him?" Garcia suggested, worriedly.

Hotch sighed. "Yes". He would hold his boy forever, if it meant that he'd be okay.

A while later Abby finally arrived with Tony. She hurried to Spencer's side. "Ahh, poor baby."  
"Hello, Abby," Hotch greeted.  
"Hi, Hotch-man. I'm sorry to hear about what happened."  
"Yeah, so are we. Would you like to hold Spencer?" he asked.  
"Sure."  
Abby sat down on the couch when Hotch got up and accepted Spencer into her arms. "Hey there, baby," she said, smiling at him as he watched her face. He smiled brightly when he recognized her.  
Abby touched his nose with one of her fingers, and giggled. "How are you feeling, Spencie-boy?" she asked. Garcia felt a pang of jealousy at the way this woman was cuddling and nick-naming Spencer.  
"Could be better," Spencer sniffed. Then he looked thoughtful. "Where is Tony?"  
Abby looked up, and saw Gibbs holding Tony's hand. Maybe he'd been up to no good again. "Tony?" she called. Tony looked up and smiled.

"Gibbs, let go!" he complained. It's not like he'd really meant to take Agent Rossi's badge or anything. Sometimes these things just happened, and it was funny to watch him frantically looking for it.  
"Go straight to Spencer. And behave now!" Gibbs said firmly.  
"Yeah, yeah," Tony replied running to the couch. "Hey Spencer, feeling better?" he asked concerned.  
Spencer smiled brightly when he saw Tony and then reluctantly got off of Abby's lap.  
"Wanna go play?" Tony asked him, heading for the nursery.  
Spencer nodded and followed him, forgetting all about the horrible things he'd witnessed.  
Hotch smiled as he saw them leaving. "Don't close the door," he told them. He liked to be able to keep an eye on Spencer. He turned to Gibbs. "Thank you for helping to solve this so fast," he said. "Thanks to your team too," Gibbs replied. "So what about the barbecue? Should McGee and I go and buy food so we can all enjoy some? And maybe it would be good for Spencer to get his mind off things. Hopefully we all can help?"

"That sounds like a great idea. You can take Rossi with you. He can help you. I'll get everything ready here then," Hotch smiled.  
Gibbs nodded and looked over at McGee who was happily talking to Garcia about computers. "McGee! We need to go buy stuff for a barbecue." McGee unhappily stopped talking to Garcia and turned his attention to Gibbs. "On it, Boss." He and Rossi followed Gibbs to Gibbs' car and they drove off.

JJ went to Hotch. "I'll help you in the kitchen." "And I'll get things ready outside with Garcia." Morgan said. Hotch nodded at them. "Thank you". He went to help JJ find her way around his kitchen.  
Abby sighed and looked over at Prentiss. "Then it's just us. What should we do?" Abby thought. She hoped she could find a really cool idea to cheer up Spencer and make the barbecue party a fun one. Prentiss shrugged. "I'm not really good with kids," she admitted.  
"Okay, you can go help your friends outside if you want. And I'll see if I can come up with a great game for the kids."

"No, I'll help. I'll just need a little guidance. How do we do this?" Prentiss asked, all business now. Abby thought long and hard and then a light went on and she smiled brightly. "I got an idea!" She grabbed Prentiss' arm and dragged her to the kitchen.  
"Hotch. Prentiss and I are going out to get some things. We'll be right back." Hotch just looked at the two of them, wondering what they were up to. "Alright," he replied.  
"Don't worry, Hotch. It's nothing dangerous, just some fun we're planning for the boys, and I'm sure others will join in the game as well," she said, like she knew what he was thinking. He nodded curtly. At least Prentiss would be able to keep this under control, he thought. Abby then dragged Prentiss to her car; she was so excited. She was sure this game was going to be fun. In the car Abby said. "We're going to get some wheelchairs. And I have this idea. I know Spencer isn't a sporty type and since he can't walk properly yet, I thought it was cool to set up a wheelchair basketball game. But this is not a normal wheelchair basketball game. You see, when they get the ball in the net, they have to answer a quiz question and if they answer correctly, they'll get a point. So what do you think?"  
Prentiss nodded, impressed. "Reid would like that," she said. "Where will we get the wheelchairs? Legally?" she added.  
"Well, you see; I know some really cool nuns at the rehabilitation center and they will be happy to lend us some, especially when I explain what happened to Spencer and what we are using them for. So don't worry, this isn't illegal and I wouldn't dare to do something illegal, or my butt would be toast if Gibbs heard about it."  
"Okay, sounds good," Prentiss replied. "Gibbs seems like a no-nonsense type of person to me," she continued.  
"That he is; believe me." Abby said while squirming in her seat. Her butt remembered the 'talk' it had had with Gibbs' hand about a week ago very well. She then started the engine and drove off.  
Prentiss raised her eyebrow at the squirming, but decided not to ask. Time to go stock up on wheelchairs. When they arrived Abby hugged the nuns. "Hi Abigail. It's been long since we've played a bowling game together."

"I know Sister Maryanne. You remember my friend Tony?"

"Yes, I do dear." Abby then explained what had happened to him and about his new friend Spencer. Prentiss politely shook hands with the nuns, and introduced herself. "Emily Prentiss, friend and colleague of Spencer," she said.  
"I'm sorry about your friend and colleague Emily. Maybe Tony and your friend Spencer should come to our rehabilitation center a few hours a week. We've started one special program for traumatized people like your friends."  
Prentiss nodded. "I'll have to talk to Hotch. He's Spencer's..." What? What was Hotch by now? Boss, friend. It didn't seem to cover it. "...father," she finished. Sister Maryanne nodded. "Do that." She handed Prentiss a business card with the rehabilitation center's information. "Tell him he can call anytime." Sister Maryanne then turned her attention to Abby. "And you tell the same to your friend's father. So what can I help you two with?"" "I promise I will. You see..." Abby told her and about her plans and what they wanted to borrow. "That's sounds really like a great idea. May we use this idea of yours here?"  
"Sure." Abby smiled brightly. She then gave Sister Maryanne another hug. "Thank you Sister." "You're welcome, my dear."  
Prentiss helped Abby load the wheelchairs into the SUV. It was a bit of a tight fit, but overall it was fine. Abby then started the engine. "We need to go to a store and buy some type of quiz game that we can use. It'd better be with different kinds of subjects. Like science, history, movie history, etc."  
"We could just get Trivial Pursuit, and use the cards," Prentiss suggested.  
Abby smiled brightly. "Great idea. Do you know if Hotch has a Trivial Pursuit game?"  
Prentiss thought back to the living room. "Yeah, there was something on a shelf. I'm pretty sure it was Trivial Pursuit," she said.  
"Cool. Then back to the Hotchner house."


	11. Chapter 11

**Thanks for the kind reviews. Hope you enjoy this next chapter. It's the longest one so far ;)**

Inside the nursery, Tony was demonstrating to Spencer how a T-Rex could devour a tin soldier. "..and SNAP, tin soldier man is toast!" he exclaimed.  
"I think I'd rather play with cars." Spencer said. "You know the T-Rex was..." and Spencer started to talk about all he knew about the T-Rex and dinosaurs in general.  
Tony just looked at him, eyes glazing over. He tried to cover a yawn. "...Okay, kid. That's nice," he interrupted. "So, cars you say?"  
"Yes! I have some cool cars Morgan gave me," Spencer said and crawled to his toy cars.  
"Neat!" Tony replied, following Spencer. He picked up a tiny Ferrari. "I've always wanted one of these..." he said dreamily.  
"Don't you have a Ferrari toy car?" Spencer asked confused.  
"Well, yes. I'm talking about the real thing. Sadly, being a lowly NCIS agent doesn't pay nearly enough for that..." he trailed off, staring at the car. "It'd be beyond cool, though," he smiled.  
Spencer smiled too. "Yeah, that would be awesome... tell you what. If... I mean _when_ we both get back to normal - let's go to Las Vegas and I'll win you the money for a Ferrari and then we could take a trip with it to Italy."  
Tony beamed. "Sweet! I bet you can count cards and stuff right? It'd be so cool. No parents, though," he added as an afterthought.  
"Yes, I can. I grew up in Las Vegas. And of course no parents, and when we're back to normal we can go there without them and their permission."  
"Yeah, I can't wait..." Suddenly Tony felt a bit worried. "When we're back to normal, do you think they'll like...kick us out?" He swallowed a lump in his throat. "Gibbs can be really hard to be around, but maybe I'd miss him..."  
Spencer looked thoughtful. "I hope not. I-I think I would miss Hotch too."  
An uncomfortable silence stretched between them. "...yeah. I don't think he'd leave me though," Tony said, with a lot less conviction than he'd have liked. Spencer let out a sad sigh. "If they let us stay, I have a bad feeling that they'll still have a bunch of rules for us to follow."  
"Yeah, that's a definite downside. We'd probably even have a curfew," he said distastefully.  
Spencer frowned. "I've never had a curfew before."  
"Me neither. Not even now, but that's only because Gibbs won't let me go anywhere on my own, so it wouldn't make sense. I don't know... He'd probably still be overprotective. I hope..." Tony said.  
"I'm not allowed to either. If I were, I'd go get a haircut." Spencer sighed sadly.  
Tony chuckled. "You just won't let that go, eh? Remember what happened the last time we decided to sneak off?" Tony asked.  
Spencer frowned. "Yeah. I'd better wait a little while longer." Spencer then smiled brightly, like he'd just remembered something. "Tony! We're allowed to play with each other again at the daycare tomorrow!"  
Tony smiled. "Right! That'll be so cool. I was getting really fed up with that Brian guy trying to force me to play with him all the time. He keeps getting me into trouble with Mrs. Jason too." He blushed. "She threatened to spank me. Said I'm on my last strike," he said.  
"I don't like that Brian guy either. And really, you too?"  
"No, he's an ass. Mrs. Jason was on your back as well?" Tony asked. They'd been kept separate all week, and he hadn't really seen much of Spencer at the daycare.  
"Yeaahh. She wants me to play with the others and I don't want to, since I'd rather play with you. So Brian has gotten me into lot of trouble too. Crying that I don't want to play with him, and telling her I'm mean to him. But I can hear that it's crocodile tears. I wonder why she can't hear that."  
Tony growled. "I hate that guy. And I hate that he tries to get you into trouble."  
"But we'd better be careful. He could try and get us in so much trouble that we're never allowed to play with each other, neither at daycare nor after. And I don't want to risk that."  
Tony shook his head vehemently. "I'd never go back to that place if we couldn't play with each other at all".  
"Me neither." Just then Abby and Prentiss came into the room. "Hi Abbs!" Tony greeted."Hi Emily!" Spencer greeted. "And hi Abby." Abby went to both boys and hugged them. "Hi boys. What have you been up to?"  
"Nothing," Tony answered, too quickly. "And you two?" he asked. Abby looked suspiciously at Tony, but then let it go. "We have a cool game planned for later." Tony beamed. "Cool! What kind of game?"  
"A fun game, but first I think there're two boys who need to be changed."  
Tony eyed Prentiss apprehensively. "Er, no. I don't, anyway". Just then Gibbs came inside. "Time for a change, Tony." Tony groaned. "Gibbs, no! I don't need that, I'm fine," he protested.  
Gibbs made a sign for Prentiss and Abby to leave the room, and they did. "Come on Tony. If you want to play the game Abby and Prentiss have planned, you'd better behave." Hotch came into the room and took Spencer to the bathroom for a change.  
Tony pouted, but decided not to fight Gibbs. He really wanted to play the game with the others.  
Gibbs guided Tony to the couch and started to change him.  
"...Gibbs? Spencer and I were wondering about something?" he told Gibbs.  
"Yeah. What about?"  
"Umm, when we get back to, like, normal...then what about all of this? Will we go back to being colleagues, and only seeing each other once in a while outside work, or what?" Tony asked anxiously. Gibbs was shocked by the question and it was hard for him to hide it from Tony. "Of course not. Before the accident you were like a son to me, now you ARE my son. You're stuck with me, kiddo. My home will always be your home too."  
Tony sighed in relief. "That's good. I don't think I could really just go back to the way things were," he admitted softly.  
"Don't worry; you won't have to, but you need to know there'll still be rules, but of course different from what they are now."  
Tony frowned. "What kind of rules? Dad, I don't need rules!" Gibbs laughed. "You sure do. I should have given you some rules before the accident happened. Maybe you'd be fine today. Rules like a curfew, not endangering your life unnecessarily, etcetera."  
Tony scowled. "And if I break them?"  
"Pretty much the same consequences as now, when you disobey me."  
Tony's expression turned sour. "But you can't spank me when we're at work," he protested.  
"That's what you think. You know we do have interrogation rooms I can use."  
Tony stuck his tongue out at Gibbs. "You suck".  
"So you'd better behave at work, and then I won't be forced to spank you." As soon as the wet diaper was off and he'd wiped Tony's backside, he lifted Tony's legs up and gave him one hard swat. "You'd better behave now or we're going home!" Gibbs said firmly.  
"Ow! Okay, I'll be good," Tony whined, reaching down to rub at his sore butt. Gibbs hurried to diaper Tony.

oOo

Spencer was sucking his thumb while lying on the changing table. He wondered if Hotch would really kick him out. Hotch noticed the frown on Spencer's face. "What's on your mind, baby?" he asked.  
"A-Are you going to kick me o-out?" he said, still having him thumb in his mouth.  
"Kick you out? Why would I do that?" Hotch asked concerned.  
"W-when I get back to normal; then you don't have to bother with me anymore."  
Hotch frowned. "Looking after you doesn't bother me, and when you get better I'll still want to look after you. I should've been keeping a closer eye on you all along. I already told you, you're stuck with me. You'll always be my baby," Hotch said.  
Spencer smiled. "R-really?"  
Hotch smiled back at him. "Yes, really. I'll always be here to give you a hug. Or a spanking, if that's what you need more," he laughed.  
Spencer frowned. "Spanking? Why? When I get back to normal I won't need any spankings... or any rules for that matter."  
Hotch looked at him sternly. "You've needed spankings and rules for a long time, and I have failed to meet your needs. That is on me, and it will never happen again. From now on, you'll be kept safe, even from yourself," he told the young man. Spencer pouted and kicked and accidently hit Hotch in a very sensitive place."No!"  
Hotch felt like all the air had been sucked out of his lungs for a moment, and then he angrily pulled Spencer up and swatted his backside a few times. "You don't kick at people!" he scolded.  
Spencer started to cry. "I'm sorry... I-I didn't mean to hit you," he said between sobs.  
Hotch felt bad. Maybe he'd reacted too quickly. The pain had made him angry, and he'd forgotten that Spencer had had a horrible day. He held Spencer close and rubbed his bottom. "Okay, don't do it again. I didn't mean to be so harsh," Hotch said, stroking his hair. Spencer wrapped his arms around Hotch and held on for dear life. "I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to hit you." Hotch sighed deeply. "It's okay. Let's get a diaper on you". Hotch pushed him back down, and powdered and diapered him. Spencer kept crying. "Are you okay?" Hotch asked.  
"I want to see Mommy. Can we visit her soon? I miss her." The broken tone of his voice tore at Hotch's heart. "Yes, we'll visit her at some point. You know I have a lot of work," Hotch said. Truthfully, he wasn't sure that Diana Reid could handle seeing her son in this state, and he feared that she might not be able to give him what he needed, choosing instead to focus on the government having brainwashed her child, or something similar. In his state, Spencer would not understand this, and would only feel rejected.  
"Tomorrow?" Spencer asked hopefully.  
Hotch sighed. "No, Spencer. Daddy has work tomorrow, and you have to go the daycare, remember?"  
"Yeaaahh," Spencer said disappointed. Then his face lit up. "Can I call her later today?"  
Hotch hesitated. "Perhaps," he amended. Maybe Garcia could distract him, he thought. Spencer might be missing '_a_ mommy' more than he was actually missing his own mom at the moment.  
Spencer wasn't happy with the answer, so he decided that if Hotch wouldn't let him, he would just do it himself when Hotch was busy with something else. Hotch lifted Spencer off the changing table and brought him into the living room. "Here, you can sit with Penny while I set the table, okay?" Hotch asked Spencer, placing him on Garcia's lap. Spencer snuggled close to Garcia. The others helped Hotch to set the table outside, Tony included. Garcia gazed at Spencer, a bit nervous. "Hi, there, are you feeling better?" she asked.  
"I miss my mommy." Spencer then pushed himself a little away from Garcia so he could better look into her eyes. "Please help me call her." Garcia considered it. "Have you asked your daddy?" She didn't want to allow Spencer to do something, if Hotch had forbidden it.  
"He said perhaps, but he didn't say no. So are you going to help me?" Garcia wavered. "Okay, then. But only a short call. We can go into Hotch's office," she suggested.  
Spencer smiled brightly and got off of Garcia's lap and followed her to the office.  
Garcia started up the computer. "Sorry Boss-man," she mumbled as she overrode his password-protection. It didn't take her long to find the number. She dialed it and handed the phone to Spencer.  
"Hi Dr. Norman, can I talk to Mommy?"  
"Dr. Reid? Is that you?" Dr. Norman said on the other end, clearly confused.  
"Yes, it is. Can I talk to Mommy? I miss her, you know."  
"Yes, of course you can. But she is not very well at the moment, so please try not to agitate her," Dr. Norman said, still sounding puzzled.  
"'k, I promise. I'll be a good boy."  
"Are you alright, Dr. Reid?" Dr. Norman asked.  
"No, not really. I saw a man being shot today," Spencer said, now in tears again.  
"Dr. Reid...Spencer. Is someone there with you?" Dr. Norman asked worriedly. Spencer nodded his head, not remembering that Dr. Norman couldn't see him.  
"Spencer?" Dr. Norman asked.  
"Mmm. So can I talk to Mommy now?"  
"Spencer, you can talk to her, but I will need to talk to one of your friends afterwards, okay?" Dr. Norman asked, sending a nurse to fetch Mrs. Reid.  
"'k."  
Diana Reid answered the phone only moments later. "Spencer! Is that you?" she whispered.  
"Yes, Mommy! I miss you."  
"Oh, I'm so glad it's you. Listen, Spencer. You need to help me get out of here. They have taken my things, and now they are getting ready to conduct experiments on me because the government ordered them to. You're my only hope," Diana frantically whispered into the phone.  
"I wish I could, Mommy, but I'm not allowed to go anywhere on my own either," Spencer said sadly.  
"What do mean, Spencer? Is someone holding you against your will?" she asked.  
"I had an accident awhile back and that makes me need someone to look after me."  
"An accident? Spencer, you don't sound like yourself. Oh God, they got to you first, didn't they? They've been conducting experiments on my baby's beautiful brain! NO. NO! I can't trust anybody. THEY TOOK MY BABY!" Diana screamed, and then her screams were suddenly more distant, when a staff member pulled her away to give her a sedative.  
"Mommy!" Spencer cried out.  
Dr. Norman picked up the receiver. "Spencer? Are you still there?" he asked, but then heard the unmistakable sound of someone sobbing. Garcia was wringing her hands nervously. It sounded like something was really wrong on the other end.  
"What happened to my Mommy?" Spencer cried.  
"She'll be okay," Dr. Norman assured him. "She was just a little upset. You know your mother isn't well. Now, is there someone I can talk to?"  
Garcia was trying to hold Spencer and take the phone away from him at the same time. "Baby, let me talk to them," she said. Spencer reluctantly gave the phone to Garcia.  
"Hello, I'm Penelope Garcia. I work with Spencer. Is his mother okay?" Garcia asked worriedly.  
"She will be; at least as well as she can get with her condition. But what about Spencer? He didn't sound like himself at all."  
"No, I'm sorry, I really thought you and his mother had been notified, or I would never have allowed him to call. A while back Spencer was involved in a work-related accident that left him with a severe trauma. He has been acting like a child ever since. I'm so sorry. I thought hearing his mommy's voice would make him feel better," Garcia explained.  
"I knew Spencer had been in an accident a while back. One of my colleagues mentioned that his father had wanted to admit him here, but I wasn't told what it was really about. I wanted to know, but my colleague told me he couldn't tell me any details. But as I didn't hear more, I thought - well at least hoped that Spencer was okay. I'm sorry I haven't contacted him to see how he was doing."  
"Oh, that's okay. We are all hoping Spencer will get better soon," Garcia replied, voice thick with tears. "Our boss, Aaron Hotchner, has custody at the moment. You should really have talked to him about this instead".  
"Is he there? So I can talk to him?"  
"Yes," Garcia choked out. She handed the phone to Spencer. "Stay here and talk to Dr. Norman until I come back with Daddy," she said and left the room.  
"Hi again, Dr. Norman."  
"Hi there, Spencer. Are you happy living with agent Hotchner?" Dr. Norman asked.  
"Yeah! He's my daddy now."  
"That's good to hear, Spencer. So, he's taking good care of you then?"  
"Yes, he is. Though, I'm not happy that he makes me eat vegetables. I hate them. Yuck."  
Dr. Norman chuckled.

oOo

Hotch looked up when he heard Garcia calling his name. "What is it, Garcia?" he asked.  
"Dr. Norman wants to talk to you on the phone. I-I umm…"  
Garcia was nervous about telling him that she'd helped Spencer call his mom.  
"Dr. Norman? From Bennington's?" Hotch asked confused. "Why did he call? Has something happened to Spencer's mother?"  
"No... I-I h-helped Spencer call her," she said guiltily.  
"You did what? I didn't allow that," Hotch said, glaring at Garcia, and heading toward the office.  
"You didn't? But Spencer said perhaps, and told me that you hadn't said no to him. Did he lie?"  
"No, he didn't lie. I was trying to distract him without upsetting him, but I never intended to let him call her," Hotch said.  
"I'm so sorry, Hotch. I should have listened to my instincts, and asked you first. I'm so sorry," she said in tears.  
Hotch nodded dismissively. "Ask me next time." He went into the office and saw Spencer talking on the phone. "Hey, Spencer. Daddy needs to talk to Dr. Norman now," he said extending his hand.  
Spencer just continued to talk to Dr. Norman, because he was kind of nice, like Rossi. "I've started in daycare. I only like going there because Tony is there. He's a new friend of mine."  
"I see. Well that's good. Is your daddy there? I thought I heard him in the background," Dr. Norman asked. "I really need to talk to him":  
"'k.. Bye Doc." Spencer said disappointedly, and gave the phone to Hotch.  
"Aaron Hotchner here," Hotch said, when he'd been given the phone.  
"Agent Hotchner, here's Dr. Norman. I really didn't know about the boy; if I had I wouldn't have let him talk to his mother."  
"Yes, well, I've been meaning to call you. Honestly, I thought I'd have heard from you by now. Spencer hasn't been writing his mother lately. Is she having one of her episodes? I would've thought she'd be worried otherwise," Hotch asked.  
"I'm really sorry I haven't called to hear how Spencer was doing." He let out a sigh. "She's in one of her deep delusions and has been for months."  
Hotch sighed. "She can't be there for Spencer as his mom then," he concluded.  
"No sorry, she can't. I'm sorry I didn't stop my colleague and Spencer's father with their stupid idea to get him committed here. That would have been a catastrophe, if they had succeeded."  
"Indeed. Spencer just needs his family right now, and we can provide him with that. I really don't think there's much you could've done. William Reid is a brilliant lawyer," Hotch said, secretly thinking it was a good thing that he himself was an even better lawyer. Just thinking about Spencer being in that place, with an unresponsive mother who couldn't take care of him made him shudder.  
"I should have known something was wrong when my colleague wouldn't tell me in detail what was wrong with Spencer and why his father wanted him here. I was very busy with his mother, as she was really in trouble. I'm so sorry. I would have stopped them."  
"It's alright. Spencer ended up in my custody, which is really all that matters," Hotch said.  
"Good. I think it would be best if Spencer doesn't talk to or see his mom until he can handle her illness better."  
Hotch agreed and told Dr. Norman goodbye. He then turned to Spencer who seemed sad, now that Dr. Norman was no longer distracting him. "Mommy isn't well enough to take care of me... is she?" He asked sadly.  
Hotch sighed. "No, she isn't. But that doesn't mean that she doesn't love you. She loves you very much, and wishes she could take care of you. And whenever you miss your mommy, we are all here," Hotch said. Garcia nodded. "You're my baby genius, Spencer. You can come to me, if you need anything," she smiled. Spencer sniffed while nodding.  
"Come here," Garcia said, holding out her arms. She really wished she hadn't helped Spencer call his mom now. She'd thought it would make things better, but it'd really only made them worse.  
Spencer hurried to get into her embrace. She held him tightly. He really was her baby, even though she wasn't his real mother. He always made her feel warm and protective. "I'm here for you, baby muffin," she whispered.  
Spencer enjoyed the embrace until Hotch told them it was time to join the guests for the barbecue.  
Everybody gathered around the two tables, which had been set up next to each other in the yard. Hotch started putting food on Spencer's plate. "You like corn cobs, don't you?" he asked. Spencer nodded happily.  
Tony was sitting across from Spencer and he smiled at him. "You ready for the game, Spencer?" he asked. Spencer nodded. "What kind of game is it? Do you think I know how to play it?" Spencer asked worriedly. Tony turned to Abby. "Yeah, what kind of game is it, Abbs?" he asked.  
Abby happily told them about the game.  
"A question?" Tony whined. "Only if it's about movies. Or I'll lose. Hey! I want Spencer on my team!" he exclaimed.  
"They'll be about different subjects. Like movies, sports, science, etcetera."  
"Okay, I can do movies, and maybe sports. Spence can do the nerdy stuff," Tony said.  
"We'll be a great team," Spencer said happily. Hotch smiled at the boys. "As long as it doesn't get too out of hand. I want you to be careful. Spencer's legs are not well yet, and we wouldn't want him to fall out of the wheelchair," Hotch worried.  
"Well Hotch, you can be on their team if you want to make sure it doesn't get out of hand," Abby said.  
"Alright, I think that'd be a good idea," Hotch said, glaring at Morgan as he coughed to cover something that sounded suspiciously like "mother-hen".

After dinner they all got ready for the game and decided that after the game they would eat dessert. Rossi quickly excused himself to 'go keep an eye on the ice cream', and Garcia enthusiastically started cheering for both teams at once. JJ joined her, but not as loudly.  
Spencer, Tony, Hotch and Ziva were on the one team, and Gibbs, Morgan, Abby and Prentiss were on the other. McGee was the one to read the questions, while Ducky refereed.  
Tony tossed the ball to Spencer. "Here!"  
Spencer grabbed the ball and tried to hit the net, but sadly it missed. He was so disappointed, even though he knew from the beginning that he sucked at sports.  
"Hey, it's okay, Spencer," Tony said, as the ball was passed to him. He scored on his first try. "Question, McGeek!" he shouted happily. McGee cleared his throat. "Which high-level computer language was named after a French mathematician and philosopher?" he asked. "Pascal!" Spencer yelled happily. Tony clapped him on the back. "I don't get how someone can be so nerdy, but it rocks!" McGee frowned. "…But everybody knows that…"  
Spencer smiled proudly. Prentiss stole the ball, and turned out to have surprisingly good aim. She scored from across the driveway.  
McGee chose another science question. "Which sticky sweetener was traditionally used as an antiseptic ointment for cuts and burns?" "Honey." Gibbs said.  
Ziva clapped. "Go Gibbs!" she shouted. Tony scowled at her. "Don't cheer for his team!"

They played for about an hour and Spencer had fun, but his arms started to get very tired and his legs were starting to ache again. Hotch could tell that Spencer had had enough. "Okay, everybody. Time for dessert. And our team wins," he smirked. It was true. Spencer had ensured that the others barely stood a chance.  
"No. Can't we play some more? It's fun. I never had fun in sports before," Spencer said.  
Hotch smiled. "I know, and it's great that you had fun, but it's time for dessert, or you'll fall asleep before you've even had any," he said.  
Spencer thought only for a few seconds. He really wanted dessert, so he nodded.  
Hotch picked him up and carried him inside. It was getting late and a little chilly, so they were going to have dessert inside. Rossi had gotten a spoon out and put it in the ice cream a little earlier. Hotch looked at it. "You've sure been busy in here," he said sarcastically. Rossi just shrugged. "I read the newspaper too," he defended. Hotch gave Spencer a bowl of ice cream.  
Spencer's arms were hurting; he couldn't lift the spoon and he started to whimper. He really wanted the ice cream. Hotch heard Spencer and immediately went to sit beside him. "Need a little help with that?" he asked. Spencer was clearly tired, and when that happened he tended to be a little clingy and helpless. Spencer nodded sadly. "My arms hurt and my legs are achy," Spencer said while rubbing his sleepy eyes, which he had trouble doing as well, because his arms were hurting. Hotch took pity on him and pulled him onto his own lap. "Here, I'll feed you," he said, picking up the spoon. It was almost Spencer's usual bedtime too. Spencer happily accepted Hotch feeding him. Gibbs handed Tony his ice cream. Tony dug in. He was getting tired, but he'd had a lot of fun and didn't want the day to end yet. Just after the game was over Ducky had said he didn't have time to have the dessert, as he needed to get back to his sick mum.  
Prentiss and Ziva excused themselves as well, and the party was slowly breaking up. Tony was almost asleep, and Spencer was sound asleep on Hotch's lap. Gibbs stood up and lifted Tony into his arms. "Time to get home kiddo."  
"No, Gibbs...wanna stay," Tony murmured into his neck, half-asleep.  
Gibbs just smiled and bid the others farewell. "It was a great day, even though it started out tragic," he told Hotch. Hotch smiled and nodded. "At least it ended well".

When everybody had left, he looked at the sleeping boy on his lap. He worried that he would have nightmares, and wondered if perhaps he should let Spencer sleep next to him, just for tonight. He carried him to the nursery and changed his diaper, and dressed him in some footed pajamas he'd found at Spencer's apartment when he'd gotten Spencer's things after the accident. He smiled to himself; Spencer could be such a kid sometimes. The young man was happily sucking his thumb in his sleep. Hotch considered for a moment, before picking Spencer up and bringing him into his bedroom. He tucked him in and quickly got ready for bed too. Then he climbed in next to Spencer and put an arm around him, afraid that he might fall off the bed. He fell asleep soon after.  
Spencer snuggled close to his daddy and sighed in contentment.

oOo

Tony had fallen asleep on their way home. Gibbs hurried to change him and dress him in his favorite pajamas and tucked him into his crib. He turned over to sleep on his stomach, barely awake.

oOo

In the middle of the night, Spencer suddenly started to whimper. Hotch woke up at the sound, and squinted at Spencer in the dark, before he turned on the bedside lamp. "Spencer? Wake up," he whispered, stroking Spencer's hair.  
"Daddy! Mommy! Where are you?" Spencer whimpered in his sleep.  
"Daddy's here. Wake up, Spencer," Hotch coaxed, gently shaking Spencer's shoulder. Spencer started to stir and when he noticed he was in Hotch's bed and that Hotch was there as well, he hurriedly wrapped his arms around him and cried into his neck. Hotch pulled him closer. "Hey, what's wrong buddy?" he asked, rubbing Spencer's back.  
"You and Mommy left me and, and, and... my father threw me in an institution and said that I could rot there," Spencer said between sobs.  
Hotch sat up on the bed with Spencer. "We would never do that, Spencer. We'll always keep you safe, and your..._father_ will never do anything to hurt you ever again, because I won't let him, okay?" Hotch soothed, rocking the young man gently. Spencer let out a relived sigh and nodded.  
"Can you go back to sleep now, or do you want a bottle?" Hotch asked him.  
"A b-bottle... please," Spencer said between hiccups. Hotch kissed the top of his head and got off the bed, lifting Spencer and carrying him to the kitchen. Spencer waited at the table while Hotch warmed a bottle of whole milk for him. He brought Spencer and the bottle back to the bedroom and sat down on the bed to feed Spencer. He smiled at Spencer's pout and put the nipple of the bottle into his mouth. "Here you go, Spencer".  
Spencer started to suckle and snuggled closer to his daddy. When Spencer was asleep again, Hotch set the bottle aside and tucked the covers back around them, letting Spencer sleep halfway on top of him. Spencer slowly put his thumb into his mouth in his sleep. Hotch smiled and let sleep claim him too.


	12. Chapter 12

**Thanks to the readers. We always like feedback :) This time we meet 'the creep' (that's what we like to call him). Please keep the warnings from chapter one in mind. This is a very serious subject in the real world and we've tried to describe it somewhat realistically without being too 'graphic' or anything, but it is still sexual abuse, so proceed with caution.**

It was early in the morning when Tony woke up to a nasty wet diaper. He then remembered that he had to go back to the daycare center today, and it only served to make him grumpier. He attempted to climb out of the crib, but fell and landed on his butt. He wasn't really hurt, but a bit shocked so he started to cry, knowing the baby monitor was on and that Gibbs would come help him.  
Gibbs was in the kitchen preparing breakfast; he then heard the baby monitor stir and Tony crying. He hurried to Tony's room and went to comfort the kid. "Shh, shh. Tony, it's okay. But you'd better call me next time you want out of the crib, instead of trying to climb out."  
"I'm wet and tired and I don't want to go to the stupid daycare today. I wanna stay at home," Tony wailed, not caring that he was being overly dramatic. This day had just had a really bad start already. Gibbs kept holding him. "Spencer will be very disappointed if you don't come to the daycare today, as you're finally allowed to play with each other again."  
Tony nodded against his chest. "But Mrs. Jason will probably be angry anyway. Can't Spencer come play here instead?" he asked.  
Gibbs let out a sigh. "Sorry, Tony. You know I need to go to work and so does Hotch, I believe...but why do you think Mrs. Jason will be angry?"  
Tony sniffled. "That stupid kid, Brian. He keeps trying to get me and Spencer in trouble with her. And he says she spanks really hard," Tony cried.  
"Tell you what. I'm going to have a talk with Mrs. Jason and ask her to keep an eye on Brian, so that she doesn't risk disciplining you or Spencer for something you didn't do."  
"Can't you also tell her not to discipline us for something we _did_ do?" Tony asked hopefully, an innocent expression on his face. Mrs. Jason was usually nice, but he could imagine that she'd be very strict when it came to discipline. Gibbs chuckled. "Sorry, no. But nice try, though." Gibbs helped Tony up. "Now come on. We'd better get you changed."  
Tony scowled. "That's not fair," he pouted, getting onto the changing table. "We'll just have to make sure not to get caught then," he mused, almost to himself. Gibbs gave Tony a hard swat on his butt. "No, you'd better behave, rather than not getting caught," he said firmly.  
"Ow! That hurt, Dad!" Tony exclaimed, a whine in his tone.  
"It was meant to. Now, you'd better behave at the daycare, or there will be trouble with me too."  
Tony looked at him slack-jawed. "Not two spankings! That's not fair! It's illogical too. One crime, one punishment, not TWO."  
"It will be fair, as she will punish you for breaking the daycare's rules, and I'll be punishing you for breaking my rules, one of them being that you have to behave."  
Tony pouted. "You're no fun". He crossed his arms over his chest and lay back to let Gibbs change him. Gibbs changed him, and guided him to the kitchen for breakfast. Tony reluctantly sat down to have breakfast. "I want chocolate," he stated. Gibbs handed Tony some pancakes and a glass of chocolate milk. Tony drank the chocolate milk, figuring that was the most he'd get out of arguing anyway, and began eating his pancakes. "When will you pick me up today?" he asked.  
"Around four or five o' clock. Maybe later. Depends on whether or not there'll be a new case."  
Tony pouted. "Can't I just take the bus home after lunch? Spencer can come too."  
Gibbs looked at him firmly. "No, you may not! You are not allowed to leave the daycare alone. And you are not taking Spencer anywhere alone, or without Hotch's permission. Is that understood?" Gibbs said firmly. Tony threw down his fork angrily. "I don't wanna go! I want to go back to my own place and drink beer and eat pizza and watch action movies. I'm an adult, and you can't stop me!" he shouted, getting up to leave. Gibbs let out a frustrated sigh and hurried to catch Tony. He grabbed his arm. "I know this is hard on you, but you are not going anywhere, aside from the daycare," he said firmly. Tony started crying, and then wiped furiously at the tears. "I hate all of this. Why can't I just go back to normal?" he cried. Gibbs wrapped his arms around Tony. "I know. I'll help you through this. I'm here for ya."  
Tony held on tightly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to throw a tantrum or anything. I know you're just trying to help," Tony whispered. He almost felt like he could glimpse his old self in that moment. That he could one day return to normal.  
"That's my boy. I'm proud of you."  
Tony smiled through his tears. "Let's go then. Wouldn't want to keep Spencer waiting." He was ridiculously happy that Gibbs was proud of him. Gibbs smiled at him proudly. "No, we wouldn't."  
Tony ran to the car and got in. Maybe it wouldn't be all bad after all. Gibbs was happy that Tony had cheered up. He hated it when he was sad.

oOo

Spencer crawled away from Hotch. He was only wearing his birthday suit, but he was so deep in baby-mode that he didn't feel modest. "No bath!"  
Hotch sighed, rushing over to pick Spencer up. "You need a bath, Spencer. I have a rubber duck that you can play with," he told him as he lowered him into the bathtub.  
Spencer started to cry. "No bath!" he said, while trying to climb out. Hotch held onto Spencer firmly to prevent him from hurting himself. "Spencer, be a good boy now. You can have a bottle afterwards then. And we'll get your favorite pacifier, so you can bring it to the daycare," Hotch tried. Spencer was acting so young that he just wanted to pick him up and comfort him, but he really did need a bath. "Penny is coming over tonight, and you want to look nice and clean then, right?" Hotch asked. Spencer thought about Hotch's offer. He really wanted a bottle and his favorite pacifier. And he was looking forward to Penny coming over, so he nodded and started to play with the rubber duck.  
Hotch bathed Spencer carefully, washing his long hair as gently as he could. "You're such a good boy, Spencer. You did very well," he told the young man as he dried him off.  
Spencer smiled happily. Hotch decided to dress Spencer in a romper suit that Garcia had somehow managed to get online somewhere. It had little pumpkins all over it. Recently, Spencer had had some trouble keeping his clothes in order, and he always complained when he had to wear a belt, which was pretty much all the time, because he was so slight.  
"I'm allowed to play with Tony today at daycare," Spencer said happily.  
Hotch smiled at him. "I know. So be good, alright? You don't want to get banned from playing with him again," he said, picking him up after handing him his favorite blue pacifier.  
Spencer happily put his pacifier in his mouth and shook his head. When they arrived at the daycare they were a bit later than usual. Hotch brought Spencer inside, and looked around for Mrs. Jason. He spotted her and smiled at her. "Good morning, Mrs. Jason," he greeted.  
"Good morning Agent Hotchner." She then looked down at Spencer. "Good morning, sweetie." Spencer was busy playing with Hotch's keys. Hotch readjusted Spencer against his hip. "There was a situation over the weekend. Spencer saw a marine being...well, I'm sure you saw it on the news. Spencer was waiting in the car while I was in the store, and sadly he saw everything. As you can probably tell, his condition has worsened. He pretty much acts like a baby all the time now. I don't know if it'll last. I just wanted to inform you, so you know why, and know that you need to be more careful with him. He is craving attention a lot, and he is extremely sensitive to bullies at the moment too, I'd wager. Please keep him happy and safe," Hotch pleaded, kissing the side of Spencer's head.  
"Ahh, poor baby. And yes; I saw it on the news. And don't worry. We'll take good care of him and we won't make him play with someone he doesn't want to play with. I'll get the soft rug out for him to lie on today, for when he doesn't want to play."  
Hotch smiled gratefully. "Thank you very much, Mrs. Jason. And please remember that he needs his pacifier at most times, and bottles more frequently too". He considered telling her about Spencer trying to open Garcia's blouse, but decided against it. Even if he tried it again, he was sure Mrs. Jason was capable of dealing with it. He handed Spencer over to her and left the daycare center.  
Mrs. Jason got Clive to fetch the soft rug and she laid Spencer on it and gave him some toys.

Spencer started to play with one of the cars. Tony saw Spencer playing on the floor, and joined him. "Hey, Spencer, how are ya?" he asked.  
Spencer's face lit up when he saw Tony. "Tony! You wanna play with me?"  
"Sure, what are we playing?" he asked, eyeing the toys.  
"Racecars."  
When Gibbs saw that Tony started playing he went to work.

Tony eyed the remaining car disdainfully. "And I get the Morris Mascot while you get the Porsche?" he asked.  
Spencer handed him the Porsche. "You can have it if you want."  
Tony waved his hand dismissively. "Nah, that's okay. You can keep it." He picked up the tiny car and started playing with it. Spencer smiled brightly and played happily with his small toy Porsche and with Tony, his new friend.

Mrs. Jason was showing the new daycare helper around. They were now heading toward Spencer and Tony. "Tony, Spencer - this is our new helper Adolph Smith."  
Tony looked at him. "Hi," he said. There was something off about the guy's eyes for a moment, but then he seemed to get it under control. "Hello, Tony I assume?" he said, but his eyes were locked on Spencer. Spencer didn't notice; he was happily playing with his car, while sucking on his pacifier.  
Tony did notice, and for some reason it sent chills down his spine. "Yeah, I'm Tony. This is Spencer. I'm his best friend," Tony told him. Smith bent down and brushed Spencer's hair away from his eyes. "Hello there, Spencer. You must be proud to have such a nice best friend."

Mrs. Jason looked on, satisfied with the way Smith was handling the boys. Tony looked at the guy suspiciously. As soon as he'd left, he turned to Spencer. "Wow, something about that guy just screams creep," he said sourly. Spencer nodded. "I don't like the way he touched my hair."  
"Seems pretty sleazy to me," Tony said, but decided he'd give this Smith guy the benefit of the doubt. He didn't really know him after all. Still something about him left Tony with an unpleasant feeling in his gut. "You wanna play more?" Tony asked. Spencer seemed very focused on his pacifier, and maybe a little tired too.  
Spencer shook his head. "I wanna lie down. Please tell me about a movie."  
"Alright," Tony replied, and launched into a long monologue about the Godfather movies.  
Spencer listened very interestedly, until his eyes wouldn't cooperate with him anymore.  
"Mrs. Jason?" Tony called. "Spencer needs a nap."  
Mrs. Jason was about to go to Spencer, but Smith offered to do it and she let him. Smith eagerly scooped Spencer up and carried him to the nursery. "Someone's tired, huh?" he said as he put him in a crib. He began stroking his hair, too focused on it. "You're a pretty little thing, aren't you?" he whispered, his eyes shining with desire. Spencer started to whimper and pushed Smith's hand away from his hair. Smith sneered, and slapped Spencer's hand. "Don't try to do that again, boy," he hissed, grabbing hold of Spencer's hair and yanking harshly. Spencer started to cry. He was scared and very sleepy. Mrs. Jason peeked into the nursery when she heard Spencer crying. "Everything alright in here?" she asked. Smith sent her a dazzling smile, and picked up Spencer. "Oh, yes. The poor little thing doesn't seem to want to be left alone," he said, stroking Spencer's back.  
"Okay. You can stay in here with him then. I'll go get a bottle ready for him and I'm sure he'll be happy if you feed him the bottle."  
Smith nodded at her. "Thank you, dear". As soon as she'd left the room the smile on his face twisted into an ugly sneer. "You'd better do as you're told now, boy, you hear me?" he whispered in Spencer's ear, as his hand roamed over Spencer's back, and settled on his padded backside in a way that was far from innocent.  
"No! I want my daddy," Spencer sobbed. Smith fisted his hand in Spencer's hair. "What did I tell you?" he said, giving it a painful tug. Spencer cried out in pain. "Leave me alone. I'll tell Tony and he'll kill you."  
"You listen to me, if you tell anyone _anything_; I will find your mommy and kill her very slowly and very painfully. You don't want to be the reason your mommy dies, do you?" Smith dug his nails into Spencer's scalp, but then seemed to calm himself down as he resumed stroking Spencer's backside. "You're so pretty. Almost like a girl, but better," he man said, his breathing slightly labored. Spencer sobbed. He didn't want to lose his mommy. "Please don't hurt my mommy."  
"If you're a good boy, I won't hurt her. But only if you're good. I just want you to be good to me..." the man whispered, burying his face in Spencer's hair and inhaling deeply. Spencer closed his eyes tightly while he kept sobbing. Mrs. Jason arrived and handed Smith the bottle. "Here, this may help him calm down. Poor thing is sleepy and is probably thinking about the horrible murder he witnessed yesterday. You'd better take good care of him; he's been through a lot."  
Smith nodded sadly, and eyed Spencer sympathetically. "Oh, yes, I'll take very good care of him, believe me. I could tell that something was bothering him. I know just how to handle his kind," he told Mrs. Jason, as he put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "He just needs someone who _cares_." He let out a pained sigh. "Fortunately, the boy is safe with me". Mrs. Jason smiled and left.

Spencer wanted the bottle badly, but he didn't want Smith to give it to him. "I want my daddy!" Spencer sobbed.  
"Your daddy's not here," Smith replied cruelly, sitting in a rocking chair with Spencer on his lap. "Be a good boy and drink your milk," he said, thrusting the bottle into his mouth. Out of instinct Spencer started to suckle, even though he didn't want to. Smith watched him suckling with perverse interest. "Good boy…" he murmured.  
Spencer fought with all his might not to fall asleep, but his eyes were drooping and sadly he lost the fight and a few minutes later he was sound asleep. Unfortunately not without nightmares.

oOo

Tony looked around the room. That guy still wasn't back from the nursery. It made him feel nervous. "Mrs. Jason, I'm tired," he said as she walked by. Mrs. Jason went to him. "Do you need to be changed first?"  
"No, I'm fine, I just want a nap," he told her, faking a yawn.  
She smiled and offered him her hand. He gladly took it and more or less dragged her to the nursery. Inside Spencer was asleep and that Smith guy was caressing his hair and face as he slept. The way he did it gave Tony the creeps. Tony cleared his throat and glared at him, as he turned his head in Tony's direction. "Don't disturb Spencer when he's asleep," he hissed at the man.  
Smith looked disappointed for just a second. He was sure Mrs. Jason hadn't noticed, but he wasn't so sure about Tony. "Don't worry Tony. I'm just comforting him. As you can hear he's still whimpering in his sleep. Poor baby is still troubled from what he witnessed yesterday." "Yes, which is why he needs his sleep," Tony ground out.  
"Tony! Be nice to Mr. Smith! He's only helping Spencer. No reason for you to be impolite to him." Mrs. Jason said firmly. Tony scowled. "It doesn't seem like he's helping Spencer at all." "Enough with that nonsense Tony! You'd better behave," she said firmly, and guided him to the crib. "Now I'd better tuck you in. You definitely need a nap with that crankiness." Tony yanked his arm out of her grasp. He didn't really want a nap, but he wanted to stay with Spencer and keep an eye on him.  
"Anthony DiNozzo! Now you'd better start behaving, before I decide you need a spanking!" Mrs. Jason said firmly. Mr. Smith just sat there both enjoying watching Tony get into trouble and having his new obsession on his lap.  
Tony got into the crib. "Put Spencer to bed too, then," he said, eyeing Smith.  
When Spencer subconsciously could hear Tony he calmed down. "Since Spencer has calmed down, you'd better tuck him into his crib," Mrs. Jason said to Smith. Smith nearly scowled at her, but quickly hid it and put Spencer in his crib, seeing as he had no other choice. When Mrs. Jason had her back turned, he sneered at Tony and left the nursery. Spencer let out a sigh in his sleep and put his thumb in his mouth.  
Tony couldn't sleep. He'd rather stay awake and keep an eye on Spencer to make sure he was safe. Tony didn't understand what exactly it was about Smith, but he had looked almost predatory when he'd looked at Spencer. Tony didn't like it one bit, and vowed to stay as close to Spencer as possible from now on.  
When Spencer woke up a few hours later, he looked around and was happy that he couldn't see Smith anywhere, but he was also wondering if it had all been a dream.  
Tony saw Spencer opening his eyes. "Hey. There you are," he smiled. Spencer smiled brightly when he could hear and see Tony. "Hi Tony."  
Tony's expression turned serious. "That Smith guy didn't do anything to you, did he?" Tony asked.  
In case it hadn't been a dream Spencer didn't dare to tell Tony what Smith had done and threatened him with, fearing for the safety of his mom. Spencer shook his head. "He was just nice to me. He comforted me because of what I saw yesterday," Spencer lied.  
Tony raised an eyebrow at the explanation. Spencer seemed nervous. He just hoped Spencer would come to him, if Smith really did do something. Tony couldn't really place what it was that people like him did, but he knew it was bad. He felt like he'd met his type before. "Okay, but if he in any way acts weird around you, I want you to tell me, alright?"  
"He wasn't Tony, so don't worry... okay?"  
Tony didn't really know if he believed him, but decided to let it go. Spencer was in a pretty fragile state after what had happened yesterday, and Tony didn't want to push him. "Do you need to be changed?" he asked Spencer, when he noticed him squirming. Spencer nodded. He prayed that it wouldn't be Smith who'd come to change him.  
"I'll go get Mrs. Jason," Tony said, climbing out of the crib and leaving the nursery.

Mrs. Jason and Smith were having coffee, and Smith was laughing and randomly touching her arms and shoulders. "Oh, that is so funny!" he exclaimed, after she'd told him one of her little anecdotes. "Um, Mrs. Jason. Spencer is wet," Tony said, interrupting them.

Mrs. Jason looked over at Tony confused. "You shouldn't leave the crib on your own. Next time call us... by the way; why weren't we able to hear you on the baby monitor? Did you turn it off again?"  
Tony blushed. He'd pulled it out of the plug as soon as they'd left the room. "I was there, so we didn't need it. If Spencer had been upset, I could've comforted him," he said. Really he'd just wanted to make sure that the creepy guy had no reason to come back, in case Spencer had woken from a nightmare. "And nothing happened when I left the crib. I can do it on my own."  
"Tony, I warn you. Next time you turn it off, you'll be punished. And still - you could have hurt yourself."  
Tony shuffled his feet. "Sorry. Can you please come change Spencer now?"  
Smith saw this as an opportunity to enjoy more of his new obsession. He stood up and said, "Mrs. Jason, please enjoy your coffee. I'll go change Spencer."  
"But Spencer asked for Mrs. Jason, he doesn't like strangers," Tony protested.  
"Spencer will need to get used to Mr. Smith as he'll be his main caretaker, and besides he did a great job with him when he fed Spencer his bottle," Mrs. Jason said.  
"Main caretaker? But, Mrs. Jason! Spencer really likes you, so there's no reason to change anything." He scowled at Smith. "You leave him the hell alone," he shouted at the man.  
"Mr. Smith has specialized in the type trauma Spencer has just experienced. So he'll be able to take care of Spencer just fine. But don't worry; I will take care of Spencer too from time to time." Mr. Smith just stood there and smiled and nodded at Mrs. Jason's statement. He smirked at Tony. "Just calm down now. Everything will be fine," he said, placing what was supposed to be a reassuring hand on Tony's shoulder. Tony shrugged it off, and pushed Smith so hard that he fell.  
Mrs. Jason had had enough. She grabbed Tony, sat down on a chair and put Tony over her knee and started to spank him hard. "You do not push anyone! Mr. Smith was only being nice to you; he didn't deserve you to treat him like that," she said between swats. It really hurt, and Tony started to cry. "Ow! Stop, it hurts!" Tony shouted. He didn't even see Smith slip from the room.  
"It's supposed to hurt. You'd better not push anyone again, or we're going to have this kind of discussion once more!" she said, while she continued to swat Tony's backside hard.  
"Ow, okay, okay, I won't. Please stop. I want my dad," Tony cried, slipping in and out of toddler mode. He knew he should focus and protect Spencer, but the pain in his backside made him long for Gibbs so much. When Mrs. Jason could hear Tony had had enough, she stopped the spanking. She got him to sit on her lap and she comforted him. "Shh, shh. It's over now, but you'd better not do it again or I'm afraid I'll be forced to spank you again." "I'm sorry, Mrs. Jason!" Tony wailed, clinging to her. He wished his dad was here. She continued to comfort him. "Shh, shh. It's okay Tony. It's okay."  
"Bottle?" Tony asked her brokenly. She smiled. "Of course." She lifted him up and put a soft pillow on the chair for Tony to sit on, and then she started preparing his bottle. Tony was grateful for the pillow, and put his thumb in his mouth while he waited. When the bottle was ready she got Tony back on her lap, and started to feed him the bottle. Tony snuggled closer and suckled contentedly.

oOo

As soon as Smith had entered the nursery, he shut the door behind him. "Have you been telling Tony lies?" he hissed at Spencer. Spencer gulped and shook his head frantically. He'd so hoped it had only been a bad dream.  
"Are you absolutely sure?" Smith asked, towering over Spencer who was still in the crib. Perhaps the Tony kid simply had good instincts, but he needed to make sure that Spencer had really kept quiet.  
"I-I haven't, honest. I-I don't w-want my m-mommy to get h-hurt."  
Smith eyed him suspiciously for a moment, before deciding that he was telling the truth. Then his entire posture changed, and he smiled endearingly at Spencer. "Poor baby is wet. Let's get you changed," he said, and lifted Spencer out of the crib.  
"No! I-I'm not wet!"  
Smith ignored him, and held him so tight that it hurt, as he carried him to the changing table. He eagerly removed Spencer's diaper and gradually the wiping turned into fondling. "Such a pretty boy..." he breathed at Spencer, his eyes half-lidded with want.  
Spencer sobbed. He was relieved though, when he could hear Clive's voice. He was talking to Marion, another charge of this daycare, who needed to be changed.  
Smith quickly stopped what he was doing as his colleague entered with a young woman. He sent Clive a wide smile, as he picked up the baby powder and shook it all over Spencer's nether regions. "Hello Clive. Hope yours is not as reluctant as mine is, when it comes to diaper changes," he said cheerfully. He turned his gaze on Spencer. "Now, there. That wasn't so bad, now was it? You did well. You're such a good boy," Smith gushed, his face still a little flushed with excitement.  
"Hi, Smith. Don't worry, she isn't. Spencer is a shy young man. He needs to get to know people before he can be comfortable with someone," Clive said reassuringly to the new guy.  
Smith sighed theatrically. "Oh, well. I have a feeling Spencer and I will _really_ get to know each other. We will be great friends, isn't that right Spencer?" he said, diapering and redressing him, and then lifting him off the table. Spencer didn't answer, afraid that he'd break down and risk his mommy getting hurt.  
Smith brought Spencer into the kitchen. He got a cookie from one of the cupboards and handed it to Spencer. "There you go. A little reward for being such a nice boy," Smith said, smiling at Spencer. Spencer loved cookies, but just thinking of eating it made him sick. He prayed that his daddy would come and pick him up right now."Eat your cookie like a good boy, Spencer. You've earned it. If you're nice to me, I'll be nice to you," Smith explained, his tone slightly threatening.  
Spencer started to eat his cookie, though reluctantly. It had never before been so hard to get a cookie down as it was now. Smith smirked at him satisfied. His eyes glinted. "Good. Very good," he said. Spencer was relieved when he'd finally finished the cookie. Smith ran his hand through Spencer's hair, letting it linger just a moment too long. "Let's go find you something to play with," he suggested, picking Spencer up and carrying him back into the play room. Smith ignored all the other charges, and headed for a corner in the room where he placed Spencer on the floor. He handed him a book. "There you go. I think you should read for a little bit," he said, as he sat back and watched Spencer like a hawk. Spencer pretended to be reading. He remembered reading this book when he was two.  
Smith managed to keep Spencer separated from the others until after lunch, when Tony insisted that he wanted to play with Spencer. Smith had to let him, but it really made him angry.

Tony threw a nasty look in Smith's direction. "So, Spencer. What do you want to play?" Spencer's face lit up when he saw Tony. "Whatever you want to play, Tony, is fine with me."  
Tony grabbed a few toy soldiers and brought them to Spencer. "You can be the army, and then I'll be the navy," he smirked. Spencer seemed a little sad. Tony hoped it was about yesterday, and not about Smith.  
"'k."  
Awhile later another one of Smith's charges started to get restless. Smith, though, just kept staring at Spencer and Tony playing. Mrs. Jason noticed and went to him. "I know Spencer is a very interesting charge, but you need to remember other charges. You can't favor one over the others."  
Smith felt like snapping at her, but didn't. "Oh, of course not. The poor little thing just seems so lost. It is probably because of what he witnessed yesterday. But you're right; I have to see to the others." He lovingly petted Spencer's hair. "I won't be gone long, Spencer," he assured him. Tony scowled at the man. He was touching Spencer way too often. "Are you sure he didn't do anything?" he asked Spencer when Smith had left.  
Spencer had had a hard time not to flinch when Smith touched him. Spencer smiled at Tony. "Yes I'm sure, he didn't do anything."  
Tony didn't believe him. He seemed too tense. Maybe he should tell Gibbs about this. Or Mrs. Jason.


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey again! Thanks for the kind reviews. Sorry about the delay. Been a little busy with my studies and such. Please read and review :)**

As it turned out, Smith's other charges were a handful, so he was very busy with them and to his great regret he didn't have much time for Spencer. Mrs. Jason noticed Spencer's cheeks were flushed. She went to him and checked for a fever, and to her dismay it seemed he had a fever.

"I want my daddy," Spencer sobbed.  
Mrs. Jason patted his cheek tenderly. "Of course, honey. I'll go call him right away. Do you want to come?" she asked. Spencer nodded and raised his arms toward her, wanting to be picked up.  
She picked him up and carried to into the office with some effort. She quickly found Hotch's number and dialed it. Hotch picked up on the second ring. "Agent Hotchner," he said.  
"Agent Hotchner, Mrs. Jason here. Sorry to disturb you..."  
"Yes? Is something wrong with Spencer?" he asked anxiously.  
"Yes sadly, there is. He's got a fever and wants his daddy. Are you able to pick him up now?"  
"Eh...yes, yes, I'll have Rossi, one of my colleagues take over for me. I'll be right there," Hotch promised.  
"Thank you, Agent Hotchner. Spencer will be very happy. See you soon then."

A little while later, Hotch all but barged into the daycare center. "Spencer?" he called, looking around.  
"Daddy! Daddy!" Spencer almost screamed.  
Hotch ran to him and scooped him up. "Hey, buddy, Daddy's here now," he said, holding him close. Spencer wrapped his arms really tight around Hotch while shivering. He was so cold.  
"Shh, let's get you home now," Hotch soothed. He saw Mrs. Jason and told her that he was taking Spencer home now.  
Mr. Smith noticed a stranger holding his little new obsession and he felt pure rage. How dared he touch what was his? He hurriedly hid his feelings to avoid getting caught. He went toward Mrs. Jason when he could hear the man telling her he was going to take Spencer home. Smith was so disappointed; he'd hoped he could have had some more fun with the boy.

Mrs. Jason brushed Spencer cheek gently. "Bye, sweetie. Hope you feel better soon."

Smith went to Hotch. "Mr. Hotchner I presume." Spencer tried hard not to tense up. Hotch looked at the man. "Yes. Spencer is my son," he told Smith. "I haven't seen you here before?"  
Smith smiled. "No, you haven't. I'm new here. I'm now Spencer's main caretaker as I have experience with people who've suffered traumas like what Spencer experienced yesterday. I'll take good care of your son. He's such a great sport. You must be very proud to have a son like him. I certainly would be."  
Hotch nodded. "I am very proud of him, yes." The guy seemed nice, but he was trying a bit too hard, Hotch thought.  
"Isn't it a little early to be picking him up?"  
"Spencer has a fever. As his main caretaker I would've thought you'd already know that?" Hotch asked. Something was off about this man; Hotch just couldn't put a finger on it. Maybe he was just one of those annoying sleazy people. Mr. Smith frowned. He wished that Mrs. Jason would have told him. "I'm sorry. I have other charges besides Spencer, and they were quite a handful today. But I knew Spencer was in capable hands with Mrs. Jason." Hotch nodded curtly. "Well, I guess I'll see you when Spencer gets well enough to come back, then," Hotch said.  
Smith nodded and then looked at Spencer. "Bye, buddy. See you when you get back." Spencer just hid his face in his daddy's neck. Hotch tightened his arms around him and left. Once they were at home, Hotch went to change Spencer and dress him in a sleeper. Spencer was still crying softly, as he had been all the way back. Hotch took his temperature. It wasn't alarmingly high, but he did have a slight fever. "Does it hurt anywhere, baby?" he asked Spencer.  
Spencer nodded while crying, and he pointed down at his bottom.  
"Your bottom hurts?" Hotch asked worriedly.  
Spencer nodded, still crying.  
Hotch examined the area. The skin was a bit red and irritated, but it wasn't a diaper rash. "How did that happen?" he asked.  
Spencer could hear Smith's warning. 'You tattle on me, and then goodbye mommy!' "I fell and hit my bottom at daycare," Spencer sobbed.  
Hotch furrowed his brow. "Spencer, it couldn't have happened like that. Don't lie to Daddy, you hear me?"  
Spencer sighed and said, "I was naughty Daddy, and Smith was forced to spank me," he lied. "I'm sorry, Daddy," Spencer sobbed. Hotch still wasn't sure Spencer was telling the truth. "Did he spank you bare?" he asked him. Spencer nodded while sniffing.  
Hotch was angry. He'd only spanked Spencer bare twice, and that was when his life had been in danger, and Spencer had been well enough to understand why he was being spanked. At the moment Spencer was more like a baby, and then this guy dared to discipline him like that? Knowing what had happened yesterday? "I will talk to him when we go back. He will not spank you again." It still didn't explain why Spencer was red between his buttocks. Maybe the man had scratched him, or something?  
"I bit him Daddy, because I didn't want to let him change me. I-I'm sorry Daddy," Spencer sobbed. He was afraid that if his daddy confronted Smith with the bare spanking, Smith would hurt his mommy badly.  
"Spencer! You don't bite people," Hotch scolded. "That doesn't mean he had any right to do what he did, though." Hotch cleaned Spencer's backside and put some lotion on him and then diapered and dressed him. "Are you hungry?" he asked. Spencer was so scared of what Smith was going to do to his mom, so he just sobbed wholeheartedly.  
"Shh, Spencer. It's okay," Hotch soothed. "He won't hurt you again."  
That only made him even cry harder. Hotch was confused. "What is it Spencer?" he asked him.  
"I forgot to say goodbye to Tony," he said between sobs.  
"Oh, baby, I'm sure he won't mind. Penny is coming over later, remember?" he said in an attempt to distract Spencer.  
That calmed him down some. Penny was like a mommy, and he needed that right now.  
"How about you take a nap, and I'll start preparing dinner, so everything will be ready once she gets here?" Hotch asked, already on his way to the crib. Spencer nodded while he rubbed his eyes. Hotch tucked him in and went to start preparing everything for dinner. Garcia came a little while later, and he opened the door and greeted her. "Hi, Garcia," he said, stepping aside to let her in.  
"Hi Boss-man. How is baby-genius doing? Derek told me he has a fever. Is it high? Does he need to see a doctor?" She asked worriedly.  
Hotch smiled at her. "No, he'll be ok. It's only a slight fever. I'm really more worried about his emotional state. He's still pretty much acting like a baby, which is part of the reason I wanted you to come over. I think he needs a 'mommy'," Hotch said.  
Garcia let out a sigh of relief. "Then that's what he's gonna get. I just don't hope that he wants me to... uh... uhmm... you know..." she said blushing, which was something she only did rarely. But this was unknown territory for her. Hotch shrugged. "Maybe you should let him. I don't know if he'll be upset that you have no milk, or if he'll just think it's like a pacifier." Hotch sighed. "I just want him to feel better, whatever it takes. He's crying all the time." Garcia blushed. Did her boss really just ask her to breastfeed Spencer, even though she didn't have any milk? If it would really help Spencer, she would gladly do it, though. She hated it, when her 'baby' was so sad.  
Hotch heard Spencer crying in the nursery. He sighed. "Can you get him up? I have to keep an eye on the stove." "Sure." Garcia said and went to Spencer. She pulled down the rails and gently stroked Spencer's cheek. Spencer started to stir and when he was awake and noticed it was Garcia, he smiled brightly.  
"Hey there, baby. Have a nice nap?" she asked. Spencer rubbed the sleepiness out of his eyes while nodding. "That's good." Garcia pulled him up and let him lean against her, and then she quickly sat down with him on the small couch. He was a bit heavy for her. She held him on her lap as he slowly woke up. "Did you have a nice day in daycare today?" Garcia asked him. Spencer gulped. Once again he could hear Smith's threat in his head, so he nodded, but didn't look her in the eye. Garcia noticed his nervous reaction. "Oh, babe. It couldn't have been much fun with a fever, though. Fortunately, you're at home now," she said, kissing his cheek. Spencer wanted some comfort and the best comfort he could think of, was something only a mommy could give. He then started to fumble with the buttons of Garcia's shirt. Garcia laughed nervously. "What are doing, Sweet-cheeks?"  
Spencer looked at her with puppy-dog-eyes. "Please, Mommy."  
"Oh, babe, what's with the puppy-look?" Garcia had no clue what she was doing, but she quickly unbuttoned her shirt and pulled down the fabric of her bra. "Here," she said, her heart hammering as she pushed his head toward her chest.  
He happily accepted, and started to suckle. He looked confused up at her as nothing was coming out, though. Garcia's eyes watered at the expression on his face. "I don't have milk, Sweet Pea, but it's alright," she said to him. Even though Spencer was confused, he accepted what he could get. Even if it didn't give him any milk, he still felt safe and protected. Garcia let him suckle, smiling at him. It was a really odd sensation, and it felt a bit strange emotionally as well, but also very calming and primal. It was a lot more natural than she'd have imagined.

Hotch came into the room when dinner was ready. He quickly averted his eyes, when he saw what was happening. "Sorry, Garcia," he said. She covered herself up a bit with her shirt, and pulled Spencer closer. "It's okay now," she said and he looked back up. "Dinner is ready," he informed them. Garcia nodded. "We'll be ready in a minute." Hotch smiled gratefully at her, and left the room.

"Baby, you have to have dinner now, okay?" she said, as Spencer just kept suckling, like he was in a trance. Spencer felt safe and protected and loved and he didn't want to let go.  
"Spencer? Sweetums? Come on. You can suckle again after dinner, okay?" She didn't want to have to push him off. No need to make him sad again. Spencer reluctantly let go, because he kind of was hungry, and since she wasn't giving him anything to eat, he needed to get some food some other way. Garcia fixed her clothes and they went to the kitchen together. She was blushing a bit when she looked at Hotch. "So, what are we having?" she asked.  
"Chicken and mashed potatoes. And I made a salad too," Hotch said, as he put the food on the table. He smiled at Spencer. "All better now?" he asked. Spencer nodded. "Me hungry," he said innocently. Hotch filled a plate with food, and cut out the meat. "Here you go," he said, placing the food in front of Spencer and handing him a fork.  
Spencer looked at the fork, clearly confused. He then laid it down and started to eat with his fingers.  
"Spen-," Hotch said, and then sighed. He went to get a cloth and then proceeded to clean Spencer's fingers under heavy protests. "Garcia, can you feed him?" Hotch asked, gesturing to the fork.  
Garcia nodded and picked up the fork and put some mashed potato on it and said, "Open wide, baby." Spencer did, and let her feed him.  
Hotch smiled at the two of them. It had been a wise move to ask Garcia here. Maybe he could get her to come over more often. They ate in silence; aside from the occasional encouraging sounds coming from Garcia as she fed Spencer. When they were done, Hotch asked Garcia to take Spencer to the living room and look after him while he cleaned up the kitchen.  
Garcia nodded and to Spencer's dismay, wiped his face with a wet cloth. Garcia then made a humming sound while doing it and Spencer started to laugh, instead of crying when she washed his face. She then helped him out of the chair and into the living room.  
They sat down on the couch and Garcia turned on the television. "Anything you'd like to watch, baby boy?" she asked him. Spencer shook his head and snuggled close to her.  
"Alrighty then. Cartoons it is," she said, figuring there's be nothing there that'd upset him. She pulled him closer and kissed the top of his head. Spencer let out a contented sigh.  
Hotch walked into the living room and sat next to them on the couch. "Hey, Spencer. Are you feeling better?" he asked, leaning over to feel his forehead. "I think the fever is almost gone," he said. 'No! No!' Spencer thought in panic. If the fever passed, then he'd have to go back to daycare tomorrow; back to the bad man. He started to whimper, praying that he would get really sick tomorrow so he didn't have to go back there. Garcia pulled him closer. "I can look after him tomorrow, if he's still sick," she offered. Hotch looked contemplative. "Unless we get a new case," he said. He liked the idea of Spencer being at home with Garcia tomorrow. He was not in good shape, not only physically, but also emotionally. Maybe he needed a bit of peace and quiet and a little TLC.  
"Yes please, Mommy." Spencer whimpered. Garcia kissed his cheek. "Even if a case comes up, I would really like to babysit tomorrow. Kevin can get you any information you might need. It's his day off, but he'll come in if you need it," she told Hotch. He nodded. Strauss wouldn't be happy if she found out he was borrowing tech analysts from other departments, but frankly, he didn't care about her opinion. Spencer needed Garcia, and Hotch would make sure he had her.

Spencer let out a relieved sigh, and now he could safely fall asleep. He was so exhausted and that's why he'd needed a lot of sleep today. Hotch scooped him up and carried him to the nursery. He tucked him in and went back to the living room. He watched a movie with Garcia. It was a ridiculous comedy about two black FBI agents who pretended to be the two white women they were supposed to protect. It was such an absurd story that it was actually funny. He hadn't had this much fun in a long while. "Could you imagine Morgan trying to pull that off?" he asked Garcia, and she burst out laughing. "I'll tell him you suggested it," she chuckled. Eventually, Garcia went home, after promising to be back at six thirty AM. Hotch went to bed with a smile on his face.

oOo

It wasn't until six PM that Gibbs was able to pick up Tony from the daycare center. Tony was in a timeout facing the wall when Gibbs arrived. He'd had another argument with the creeper.  
Gibbs let out a frustrated sigh. "What has Tony been up to now?" He asked Mrs. Jason.  
Mrs. Jason sighed. "It seems that Tony is very reluctant to accept a new employee that just started working here. He seems very convinced that our new caretaker, Mr. Smith, has intentions of hurting Spencer. I can assure you; that is not the case. Mr. Smith is highly qualified, and he wouldn't hurt a fly. I'm sorry to inform you that I have also had to spank Tony once today."  
Gibbs rubbed his face in frustration. "And why did you feel the need to spank him?"  
"He pushed Mr. Smith to the floor. I am afraid we can't tolerate that type of behavior here," Mrs. Jason answered.  
Gibbs nodded while letting out a sigh, "Of course not. And I don't tolerate it either."

Mrs. Jason fetched Tony. "You can come out now. Agent Gibbs has come to pick you up," she said. Tony sighed in relief, well at least until he saw the look on Gibbs' face. "Dad, I swear, I didn't do anything," he exclaimed.  
"So you didn't push the new guy? And the staff here is lying to me? Is that so?" Gibbs asked, but his eyes warned Tony not to lie since he was in enough trouble as it was.  
"Um.. But... I don't trust him Dad. He deserved it, and..." Tony trailed off, as the expression on Gibbs' face only turned angrier.  
"And why did he deserve it?"  
"He was touching Spencer's hair," Tony said. He didn't really have a concrete reason, it was just a hunch. "He's a creep."  
Gibbs looked worried over at Mrs. Jason. "Is there something to be worried about Mrs. Jason?" Gibbs felt very protective of the young man and he would hate if he got hurt, especially after what had happened yesterday.  
Mrs. Jason looked flushed with anger. "There is absolutely nothing to worry about and I will not tolerate Tony telling such vicious lies! Mr. Smith is a kind and dedicated man, and he does not deserve this type of slander! I will ask you to ensure that Tony's behavior improves. Cruel lies and violence _will not be accepted_ if Tony is to stay in this daycare," she said heatedly.  
Gibbs nodded. "Sorry. I just wanted to make sure. Spencer has been through enough, and I don't know how much he'll be able to handle before he breaks completely."  
Mrs. Jason nodded curtly. She was obviously still upset. Tony hung his head and went to Gibbs, as he beckoned him over.  
"We'll talk about this when we get home Anthony. Now you'd better give Mrs. Jason and Mr. Smith an apology and tell them that you won't speak ill of Mr. Smith again," he said firmly.  
Tony gritted his teeth as Mr. Smith fully entered the room. He'd obviously been lurking in the doorway. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Jason and Mr. Smith," he ground out.  
Mr. Smith looked very upset, but nodded. "I accept your apology. But it really hurts when you're telling lies about me. I only want what's in Spencer's best interest."

Tony didn't believe him for a second. "Right, I won't tell lies," he said. And he wouldn't, but he didn't believe it _was_ a lie. Mr. Smith nodded satisfied. Mrs. Jason looked firmly at Tony. "I also accept your apology, but I'd better see some improvement in your behavior from now on."  
Tony nodded sullenly. "Can we go home now?" he asked Gibbs.  
"Yes we can, as we have an important discussion we need to get over with."  
Tony grimaced. This was not going to be fun. If only they'd listen to him. Something was wrong with that Smith guy. The entire ride home was nearly silent. It didn't bode well. Gibbs looked firmly at Tony."Get in the corner and stay there till I'm done with dinner. And after dinner we're going to have a 'talk', and then you're going straight to bed."  
Tony scowled, and stomped all the way to the corner. This was so unfair. He was clearly in the right. Well, maybe not about pushing the guy, but he was right about him being a creep.  
After dinner, which had been a very quiet one, Gibbs told Tony, "You haven't had a bath last evening nor this morning. So you'd better take a shower or a bath now, before our talk."  
Tony was really starting to dread this so-called 'talk'. He took a shower, desperately trying to think of ways to make Gibbs forget about all of this. While Tony took a shower Gibbs got Tony's pajamas ready, and when Tony was done he handed him a towel.  
"Thanks," he mumbled. "Look, Dad, can't we just forget about this? I already apologized," he asked hopefully.  
"No, sadly not. I did warn you. I told you, if you disobey my rules I will punish you, and that's what I need to do. I don't do empty threats."  
Tony sighed. "But, Dad..!" he whined.  
"Sorry, son." Gibbs helped Tony getting dressed in his pajamas. He then guided him to his room and sat down on a chair and put Tony over his knees.  
"Dad, don't! I didn't do anything wrong, this guy is a creep. I don't care what Mrs. Jason said, she's wrong. Don't spank me, please!" Tony pleaded, trying to get off of Gibbs' lap.  
"I'm sorry, Tony. I wish this didn't need to be done, but sadly it has to be." Gibbs raised his right arm and slapped his hand down hard on Tony's backside. Tony cried out, and kicked his legs. "Ow!"  
Gibbs wanted to stop; he hated hurting him, but he needed to show Tony that he meant what he promised. So he continued the spanking.

His backside was burning, and he was tired and scared for Spencer, so Tony started crying for real. He'd been attempting to hold back tears. "Enough...please, Dad," he wailed.  
Gibbs stopped, as he could hear in Tony's voice that he'd really had enough. Gibbs had made a bottle ready for Tony before he'd started their 'talk'. He carried Tony to get the bottle and then he sat down in the rocking chair and offered the bottle to the crying Tony. Tony latched on gratefully. The milk warmed his stomach and he didn't feel as sad anymore. He really hoped that Smith would leave Spencer alone, because obviously not even Gibbs would believe him that there was something wrong. Gibbs started to sing a lullaby for the first time, since a very long time ago, hoping that it would calm Tony down even more.  
Tony sobbed silently, when he heard Gibbs singing. He pushed his face against Gibbs' chest and cried himself to sleep. Gibbs kept him in his arms until he had completely calmed down and was fast asleep. He then lifted Tony to the crib and tucked him in for the night. He gave Tony a kiss on his forehead before he put up the rail. He turned on the baby monitor and left the nursery. He went to the kitchen to clean up and when he went down to the basement to work on his boat, he remembered to take the baby monitor with him. He worked until he was tired and went to bed, hoping for a better day tomorrow.

oOo

Gibbs hadn't slept much; he'd been wondering all night. What if Tony was right about Mr. Smith? Should he mention it to Hotch? He knew if it had been the other way around, that Spencer had that feeling about Mr. Smith acting strangely toward Tony, he would surely want Hotch to tell him. So Gibbs decided to call Hotch. He'd just taken Tony to daycare, though under protests from Tony. Mrs. Jason had told him that Spencer wouldn't be coming today. Gibbs had noticed the disappointed look on his son's face, but what surprised him was that there was also a relieved expression. It showed Gibbs that Tony was really worried about Spencer's safety. So as soon as he left the daycare, Gibbs called Hotch. "Hi Hotch, it's me, Gibbs."  
"Gibbs?" Hotch said, confused as to why he would be calling now.

"Yes. I'm sorry to call you so early. But it's important. Are you able to meet me now for a cup of coffee, let's say at Starbucks?"  
Hotch was a bit worried, because it seemed rather out of character for Gibbs to miss work to meet with him, so he quickly agreed. "I'll be there in twenty," he replied.  
"Good - see you then," Gibbs said and hung up. He then called his team to inform them that he would be late. Hotch met Gibbs at Starbucks a little later. "Hi," he said, shaking hands with him. "May I ask what this is about?"  
"It's kind of about Spencer and the new helper at the daycare..."

Hotch listened intently. Maybe there'd been more to that spanking story from yesterday, he thought as chills ran down his spine. It couldn't be. Surely Spencer would've said something to someone. Right? He wasn't sure. He swallowed convulsively. "I'll have Garcia run a background check, just in case." He then told Gibbs about Spencer's red bottom. "Do you think it could've been..." he couldn't even speak the words. Oh, God, he hoped it was just a misunderstanding.  
Gibbs thought carefully. "Mrs. Jason assured me that Tony was wrong, that there isn't anything wrong with the Smith guy, but Tony is really worried. I think you should let Garcia check him out. To be on the safe side. I really hope that he hasn't done anything to Spencer. And if Tony is right, I have a lot of making up to do with him as I've just spanked Tony for the way he's been treating the new guy."  
Hotch nodded morosely. "We have to make sure. If anything happened to Spencer... I hope Tony is wrong about this," Hotch said. He was happy that Spencer was with Garcia today, though.  
Gibbs nodded. "I hope so too. Spencer is a great kid and has been through enough already. He doesn't deserve to be treated like that, if it's true."  
"No one does. I'll call Garcia right away. She's at home with Spencer today, since he's not feeling very well yet. He's still a little shook up from what happened last Sunday, and he's very fragile at the moment. The fever is not bad, but he needs a little extra attention," Hotch explained, shrugging, and reaching for his cell phone. Gibbs nodded in understanding. Hotch dialed Garcia's number and waited for her to pick up.  
"Hi boss-man. You already calling to check how your baby is doing?"  
Hotch couldn't help but crack a smile. "Well, that too. Look, I need you to check out an Adolf Smith. He just started working at Spencer's daycare," Hotch explained.  
"Why? Should I be worried?"  
Hotch sighed, and told her about Tony's concerns. "I just need to make sure," he finished.  
"My God! Nooo, noo. Please don't say that he's been hurting our baby?" Garcia almost yelled.

"I don't think he has...Spencer hasn't said anything, but something doesn't add up. I need to know. Can you check it? You brought your laptop, right?" he asked her.  
"I sure did. I'll find all his dirty secrets, if he's got any."


	14. Chapter 14

**Hi, sorry for the delay. Here's the next chapter. Thanks to the reviewers:)**

Spencer was still asleep, so Garcia spent the time finding everything she could on the guy. Nothing seemed to stand out. He was just an average guy, with an average life. Came from a two-parent household, regular income, went to a public school and was an average student. He owned an old Ford, and lived in a smallish apartment. Criminal record was clean as a whistle. He seemed to enjoy reading and working out, judging from his credit card trail. He had apparently never had a serious relationship, as he'd always lived alone since leaving his parents' home, and he had no children. All in all an average, if slightly boring life. Garcia really hoped that meant that he didn't fit the profile of a sexual offender. She was about to call Hotch back, when Spencer started crying. She hurried to his room and saw him sitting up in his bed. "Hey, baby. What is it?" she asked him, pulling down the rail. Spencer was rubbing his sleepy eyes. He wanted to tell her that he'd had a nightmare about that horrible man Smith, but he was so afraid that the guy would find out and then hurt her and his other mommy. "Me wet, Mommy." And he didn't lie about that, he was very wet; it even leaked from his diaper. Garcia saw the wet spot on his sleeper and helped him out of the crib. "Let's get you cleaned up." She brought him into the bathroom and undressed him and removed his diaper. "Stay here," she said, turning around to run a bath for him.

Spencer's legs ached a little so he sat down on the floor and waited. As soon as the temperature was right, Garcia helped Spencer into the bathtub. "There you go. Let Mommy wash you," she said, dipping a sponge into the water. Spencer was happily splashing the water all over while Garcia bathed him.

After his bath, Garcia brought him into the living room and sat on the couch with him. "I can go make you some breakfast," she offered. What Spencer wanted was not something from the kitchen. He started to fumble with the buttons of Garcia's shirt. Garcia smiled and helped him open her shirt and bra. She just hoped he wouldn't be upset at her lack of milk this time. She grabbed a pillow and put it under her arm, and then guided Spencer to lie back against it. "There you go," she said gently.

Spencer was once again disappointed that there wasn't any milk, but as he now felt secure and protected in his Mommy's arms, it didn't matter. He still hoped that there soon would be milk, though.

Garcia petted his hair, encouraging his suckling. He was so sweet and innocent, and she desperately wished she could give him milk. This would have to do, she figured. He seemed happy and content, and so was she.

After the comfort moment Garcia let Spencer play in the playroom. She'd tried to call Morgan, but his phone had been turned off. She'd then called the BAU and Prentiss had told her that Morgan had to go see his mom, as she had had an accident. Nothing serious, but still enough for Morgan to want to visit his mom. She'd hoped that she could have had Morgan talk to Mr. Smith to see if he could feel if something was off with him, since he'd sadly had experience with sex offenders the hard way.

oOo

Hotch called Garcia back as soon as he had a free moment. Apparently, nothing was weird with Mr. Smith's background. "Are you sure he's not just hiding something really well?" he asked her.  
"I can't be sure of anything - only that I can't find anything dirty on him, but I'll keep trying. I tried to call Morgan, but he's with his mom. Have you heard she had an accident? How sad... well, I had hoped that Morgan could have met the Smith guy, he would surely have been able to tell if he is dirty," she let out with a sad sigh.  
"I heard. She'll be okay, but he needs to be with her right now. I wish he could have met Smith too," Hotch said, sighing. "How is Spencer?"  
"He's playing in the playroom. He was upset, but luckily I was able to comfort him..." She was happy Hotch couldn't see her blushing.  
"I'm happy you were. He really likes having you around," Hotch said.  
"Yeah, and I like to be close to him. He's a sweet boy, as he's always been. It's so easy to love him."  
"I know. I'm just afraid that it might also make him extra vulnerable," Hotch said sadly.  
Garcia let out a sigh. "I'm afraid so too. I can't understand why someone would want to hurt a sweet boy like him. Or any child for that matter."  
Hotch sighed. "No, me neither. But he's not really a child. That's part of the reason I don't think anything has happened. A pedophile wouldn't seek Spencer out, would he?" Hotch said, feeling unsure of that himself. Spencer was like a boy in so many ways.  
"He's got the mentality of a child. Maybe some psychos like to have power over an adult who can't protect himself. You're the profiler here, not me. Have you had any cases like this?"  
"No, not really like this. I've had rapists who liked to be in complete control of their victims, and rapists preying on mentally retarded people, because they couldn't defend themselves, but I've never seen a pedophile go after an adult before," Hotch said, mentally searching through every case he'd ever worked on.  
"What if Smith isn't a pedophile? Maybe he's gay and likes to be completely dominant, forcing himself on a vulnerable man?"

"That might be. Or he could be a pedophile who hasn't really admitted it to himself yet, and is instead seeking out the next best thing. I really don't know. I've only talked to him briefly, and I don't have a lot to go on. Maybe I should try talking to Spencer again. I just really don't want to upset him, now that he's finally calm," Hotch said.  
"Yeah, that could be. Maybe we could ask Spencer together. Then he'll have both his 'Mommy' and 'Daddy' with him."  
"Yes, that would be better. Maybe after dinner?" Hotch suggested, pinching the bridge of his nose, not looking forward to that particular talk.  
"Yes, sounds good enough for me."  
Hotch said goodbye and hung up. He just wanted this day to be over, so he could go home and be with Spencer.

oOo  
Garcia went into Spencer's room. "Hey there. What are you playing?" she said, looking at an action figure that was missing both arms. She raised an eyebrow. "Did you pull his arms off?"  
Spencer looked ashamed down at his lap and nodded sadly. Garcia attempted to look at him sternly, but she didn't really have it in her. Especially not when he was so sad. "Why did you do that? You don't ruin your toys, you know that," she scolded mildly. He looked up at her with teary eyes. "I'm sorry... I-I was just playing that he had an accident a-and h-his arms were cut o-off..." He lied. Garcia frowned at him. "O-kay... Baby, why don't you play something...happier?" she suggested, picking up a few bright toys and sitting down next to him.  
"'k." Spencer said and played a happier game.  
Garcia smiled at him. "It's almost naptime, Spencer," she said gently.  
"No nap! Just wanna play."  
Garcia sighed. "Spencer... You're tired. I can tell," she said, beginning to pull him off the floor.  
"No! No nap. Me not tired!" Spencer said while trying to get out of Garcia's grasp.  
Garcia gave his bottom a light swat. She'd seen Hotch do it when he started throwing a tantrum. "Spencer! Stop that," she scolded.  
Spencer sniffed. "B-but, I don't wanna take a nap," he said while rubbing his sleepy eyes. Garcia felt horrible for making him cry again. "You can have..." she trailed off gesturing to her chest. That calmed Spencer down and he let Garcia guide him to the changing table. Changing his diaper had pretty much become routine by now, and it didn't take her long. She pushed the rail on his bed down, figuring it'd be best to let him suckle while they were sitting there, so she wouldn't have to carry him to bed afterwards.

She helped him off the changing table and sat on the bed with him. He yawned. "Tired?" she smiled. Spencer nodded sleepily and yawned again. Garcia opened her shirt and pulled him closer. She was getting used to this as well. Spencer suckled happily. Garcia winced slightly. Her breast felt a bit tender, but she figured it was probably just because he'd been suckling several times by now. She kissed the top of his head. It didn't take long until Spencer was sound asleep. Garcia stayed with him for a while. He kept suckling every few minutes in his sleep, and she smiled at him lovingly. Eventually she tucked him in and went to start dinner. It was a bit early, but she figured she'd make something extra-special today.

oOo

Gibbs hurried to finish early at work, so he could go pick up Tony from daycare. When they were home and at the dinner table with Tony's favorite pizza on the table, Gibbs asked Tony, "So how was daycare? "  
Tony kept his eyes locked on the table. "I didn't like it there," he said.  
"Is that Mr. Smith guy still worrying you?"  
Tony tried not to scowl. "Yes," he replied. He still hadn't forgiven Gibbs for the spanking he'd received. Gibbs nodded sadly. "I'm sorry that I didn't listen more closely to you yesterday. Tell me everything he did and said today that makes you still worried."  
Tony hesitated. "Um, he kept asking me all of these questions about Spencer. About his family and stuff. I wouldn't tell him about Spencer's mother, and then he got angry and put me in a timeout. I don't like the way he was collecting information on Spencer. It didn't seem right. And he kept saying that he _missed_ Spencer, but he barely even knows him, so I don't know what he meant by that," Tony explained. That did worry Gibbs too. He could understand that he needed to know much about Spencer to be able to help him, but why would he ask Tony for the information, and not Hotch? "I've told Hotch about your worries, and he'll look into Smith's background."  
Tony looked up, surprised. "Oh...Well, that's good. Thank you," he said.  
"I thought Hotch would want to know, and if had been the other way around I would definitely want to know."  
Tony nodded. "If he's done anything, Hotch will kill him," Tony said. He shuddered. He didn't want to think about anything happening to Spencer.  
"And so would I, if anyone did anything to you."  
Tony smiled. "Really?" he asked in a small voice.  
"Of course. You're my son, my pride and joy." Tony beamed. He jumped up and ran over to hug Gibbs. Gibbs hugged him back, surprised at Tony's reaction, but when he thought about Tony's childhood he knew he shouldn't have been so surprised, since Tony real father had probably never told Tony that he was proud of him. "What do you say to the two of us taking the day off tomorrow and having some father and son time? Let McGee and Ziva work their asses off."  
Tony smiled at him. "Really? Just the two of us?"  
"Yes, just the two of us. What do you want to do? Any ideas?"  
Tony thought hard. "Hmm...I've never been fishing?" he said finally.  
Gibbs raised his eyebrows. "You haven't?" Tony looked at the floor. "Well...no. My father never really wanted to do anything like that. Not with me, anyway," he said, remembering one time when his father had gone on a fishing trip with a business associate.

Gibbs gave Tony a reassuring hug. "Well, that is going to change tomorrow. I'd be honored to teach you how to fish." Gibbs then gently lifted Tony chin and looked firmly into his eyes, "But you need to listen to what I say to you. No wandering off, and you need to do whatever I tell you to. I'm only thinking of your safety. I don't know what I would do if I lost you too." Tony nodded. "Promise," he said, and pressed himself against Gibbs' chest. Gibbs held him close. "The first thing we're going to do tomorrow is buy you a fishing pole. And I need to buy you a life jacket too."

Tony grimaced. "I don't want to wear one. I'm not going to fall into the lake or anything," he said.  
"If you want to go fishing with me you ARE going to wear one, just as I will wear one."  
Tony pouted. "Okay, then," he said. Maybe he could take it off after they'd been there for a while, and Gibbs had realized that he didn't need it. "Can we catch a HUGE fish?" Tony asked eagerly.  
"I do hope so, and if we do we could invite Hotch and Spencer over for dinner to eat the fish, if you want." Tony smiled widely. "Yes, yes! I'll catch Spencer a really big fish. I hope he likes fish..." Tony added, a frown creasing his brow.  
"What's wrong Tony?" Gibbs asked worriedly.  
"What if Spencer hates my fish? Maybe he'll think it's ugly and slimy. And fish always look like they're staring at you. Maybe he'd rather just have milk," Tony wondered. Gibbs chuckled. "He probably wants a bottle for dessert, but I'm sure as soon as I have prepared the fish, he's going to like it. We just need to make sure not to let Spencer witness me skinning the fish."  
Tony nodded fervently. "That's a good idea. But tell Hotch to bring Spencer's bottle, just in case," he said. Gibbs smiled. "I don't think I need to remind him. He knows his son very well."  
Tony nodded and yawned.  
"Do you want a bottle?"  
"Mmm," Tony said shyly. He was tired and really excited about the fishing trip.  
"I think we should get you ready for bed and then I'll warm a bottle, and we can sit on the couch and enjoy a movie together while you drink your bottle."  
"Okay," Tony replied and grasped Gibbs' hand in one of his own, while he rubbed his eyes with the other. Gibbs changed Tony and dressed him in a sleeper and got Tony to lie down on the couch while he prepared a bottle for him. Tony waited on the couch, while he studied the ceiling. When Gibbs finally came back, he sat up and smiled at him. Gibbs smiled back and took a seat beside Tony and let him use his chest as a pillow while he offered the bottle to the boy. Tony drank the milk slowly, as his eyes were drooping. He was asleep within five minutes. Gibbs enjoyed the feeling of holding the sleeping Tony in his arms. But after about an hour he carried Tony to the nursery and tucked him in.


	15. chapter 15

**Hey. Two chapters in one night ;) This one has more of the nasty Smith guy. It's not graphic, but keep in mind that it is still unpleasant to read.**

Just as Garcia was done with dinner, Hotch arrived. Garcia's breasts felt funnier and funnier every minute, and she wondered what was wrong. Had it been wise to breastfeed Spencer, especially since she didn't actually have any milk? Hotch noticed Garcia frowning as she set the table. "Something wrong?" he asked.  
Garcia blushed. "N-no, I-I don't think so."  
"You don't think so?" Hotch asked concerned.  
"Don't worry; it doesn't have anything to do with Spencer... well, it kind of does."  
Hotch frowned. "How so? Did something happen?" he asked worriedly.  
Garcia blushed a deep red now. "Well, I-I... uhm..." She then had an idea. "When a woman i-is uhmm... breastfeeding... do you think she... uhm... that her breasts can feel a little, like..." Garcia wasn't comfortable talking to her boss about this at all. Hotch watched her fidget, clearly uncomfortable. "What do you mean? A woman I know said her breasts felt tender and swollen when she had her daughter, if that's what you're thinking about? Why?" he asked suspiciously. Garcia looked surprised up at him; it was just the way her breasts felt. That was so strange. As she was uncomfortable admitting this to Hotch, she didn't. "Uhmmm, for no reason... just curious, I guess." She was still blushing a lot. Hotch let his gaze linger for a bit. "You sure?" Why was she asking these questions? Garcia just shrugged and didn't dare look him in the eye. But suddenly, and to her great horror, she could feel her shirt getting wet right where the nipples of her breasts were located. She started to get worried; what was wrong with her? Was she sick? Hotch noticed her expression turning terrified. "Garcia?" he said, rushing closer to her. She really hoped he wouldn't notice the wet spots on her shirt. Garcia was turning away from him slightly, so he gently grasped her arm and pulled her back to face him. He noticed the two wet spots, and stared at them, before forcing himself to look at her face instead. "Garcia... You're lactating?" he asked her, a confused expression on his face.  
"Lacte-ting, what?"  
"Producing breast milk," he explained, still not really making any sense of it.  
"B-but, I'm not pregnant. How could that happen?"  
Hotch shrugged. "It's a bit outside my field. I can call a doctor and ask," he suggested.  
"Uhm... don't worry, I'll research it. Well, if I am I at least I won't disappoint Spencer anymore."  
Hotch smiled at her softly. "I'm sure he's not disappointed in you, Penelope."  
She smiled shyly. "Uhmm... can I-I borrow one of your s-shirts?"  
"Oh, of course," he said and immediately went to retrieve one. "Here you go. And please do a bit of research. I need to know that you're fine, and that this was caused by Spencer, and not by something else. You're sure you're not pregnant?" Hotch asked, feeling a bit weird asking Garcia personal questions like that. Garcia blushed once again. "I-I'm sure. Thanks." She then went to the bathroom.

Hotch went to the nursery and found Spencer sitting up in bed. "How long have you been awake, baby?" he asked, picking him up. "Why didn't you call for us?"  
Spencer sniffed. He wasn't only wet, but also dirty and he'd been afraid to call them and for them to get angry with him for messing the diaper.  
"Do you need to be changed?" Hotch asked him, as he carried him to the changing table. He clearly did. Spencer nodded. "I'm sorry, Daddy. Please don't spank me," Spencer sobbed.  
Hotch looked at him, shocked. "Why would I spank you, baby?" he asked.  
"For being a bad boy, messing my diaper."  
Hotch stroked his hair. "You weren't being a bad boy. I know you can't help it. I never want you to be afraid to tell me if you need to be changed, okay?" he said, undressing Spencer, removing the dirty diaper and cleaning him carefully. Spencer sniffed and nodded. "Father spanked me every time. He couldn't u-understand why a s-smart b-boy like m-me couldn't k-keep clean," he hiccupped. Hotch felt a surge of hatred toward Spencer's so-called father. "Spencer, you listen to me; that was wrong of him. He should never have done that. Little children can't control it, no matter how smart they are, okay? And I am not mad at you at all."  
"B-but I-I'm not a-a little child anymore," Spencer hiccupped.  
"No, but you went through something really bad, and it is perfectly understandable that this has happened. I love you very much, and you'll always be my little child, so nothing else matters, alright?" Hotch powdered him well, afraid he might get a diaper rash and put a clean diaper and a soft sleeper on him. "There, all better now." Spencer gave him a faint smile.  
"Mommy made dinner," Hotch said, as he carried him to the kitchen.  
"Yay! Mommy is still here?"  
"She is. Garcia?" Hotch called.

Garcia had hurried to put Hotch's shirt on, but had also put two cloths in her bra to protect Hotch's shirt. When she went out of the bathroom, she could hear Hotch calling for her and hurried to him.  
"Hi, I like that shirt you're wearing," Hotch smirked, as he placed Spencer in a chair and tied a bib around his neck.  
Garcia smiled. "Yeah, isn't it an awesome shirt? It's the new fashion." She winked. Spencer tried to get the bib off, and Hotch turned to Spencer. "Stop that, baby. Now, do you want Mommy or Daddy to feed you?" he asked.  
"Daddy," he said, because he wanted something else from his Mommy later. And he'd missed his Daddy. Hotch smiled and sat down next to Spencer. Garcia had made an amazing meal of pot-roast, baked potatoes and green peas. "Open wide," he told Spencer, bringing a spoonful of food to his mouth. Spencer opened his mouth and let his Daddy feed him.  
"Taste good?" Hotch asked. Spencer was rather messy, even though Hotch attempted to control it for him. Spencer smiled brightly while nodding.

After dinner, Spencer needed a bath. "Garcia, I'll bathe him while you research, you know..." he said, lifting Spencer off the chair. Garcia flushed and nodded shyly.  
Hotch brought Spencer to the bathroom and let him play with the little yellow rubber ducky while he washed bits of potato out of his hair. "You're so messy when you eat," he chuckled. Spencer looked confused up at him. "No, I'm not..." Hotch patted his cheek. "You are," he said. Spencer pouted. "No, I'm not." And he continued playing with his rubber duck.  
"It's okay, no need to pout. Now let's get you out of here. Mommy is waiting," he told Spencer as he lifted him out of the tub. Spencer let his Daddy dry him off.

They found Garcia on the couch in the living room, looking rather happy and pleased with herself. "So you figured it out?" Hotch asked.  
She nodded. "I'm not sick," she said happily.  
"That's great. So what is it?" he wondered out loud.  
"You were right about... you know..." She blushed once again.  
"So, it's because of Spencer?" he asked, smiling at Spencer, who was settled against his hip. She nodded and smiled brightly. He sat down on the couch next to her and pushed Spencer toward her. "Do you want me to leave?" he asked, suddenly remembering that she was not his wife or anything and might feel uncomfortable with him there. Garcia didn't quite know if she should say yes or no. She was kind of still feeling uncomfortable with this. But before she could answer, Hotch's phone rang. Hotch got up and answered the phone. It was Gibbs. Hotch waved at Garcia and Spencer and left the living room.

"Gibbs? How are you?" Hotch asked, wondering why he was calling.  
"I'm doing good. I just wanted to tell you what Tony has told me about Mr. Smith."  
"Mr. Smith? Did he do something?" Hotch asked, concerned.  
"Tony said that he was asking him a lot about Spencer and his background, and that he got angry at Tony when he wouldn't tell him anything about Spencer's mother - he put him in a timeout for that."  
"What? I don't like this at all. Maybe I should have a talk with him when Spencer goes back. I really hope he is just fascinated by Spencer, like many people are," Hotch said.  
"Yeah, I hope so too, but why did he ask Tony and not you? He even told Tony that he'd missed Spencer."  
Hotch scowled. "Missed him? Yes, it doesn't sound good. What should we do about this? We can't throw around accusations, but I don't trust him."

"Try and ask Spencer about Smith. And you're right, we need to be careful. There've been too many men falsely accused of something like this, and their careers were ruined." "Yes, you're right about that. I'll try to ask him again. He's tired now, though," he said.  
"If you're not able do it today, then do it tomorrow. But make sure you talk to him before you take him back to the daycare. Tony won't be there tomorrow, we're going on a fishing trip. So if we catch a big fish, then expect a dinner invitation from us in the near future."  
"Alright, that sounds great. Yeah, I'll see if he's even well enough to go back tomorrow. He's slipping further and further into baby-mode it seems," Hotch told Gibbs.  
"I'm sorry to hear that. Hope he'll get better soon."  
"So do I. But at least he has his family, and we'll take good care of him," Hotch said.  
"You're right, and now he's got an even bigger family. He's now got an Uncle Gibbs and a 'big brother' Tony."  
Hotch laughed. "He sure does." He turned serious again. "And it's just what he needs to get better."  
"Don't ever hesitate to call me if you need my help, and if you need a doctor to take a look at Spencer, I'm sure Duck would gladly take a look at him."  
"I appreciate that, thank you," Hotch said and hung up.

oOo

Spencer got the surprise of his life when he finally got milk and he smiled in satisfaction. Garcia could feel milk flowing out, and she giggled in relief. Finally she could give him what he needed. "Does it taste nice?" she asked him happily. Spencer nodded joyfully while suckling. After a while she had to have him change breasts. "Don't want to end up all lopsided, baby," she told him, when he protested. Then he reluctantly changed and was happy when he found out that there was really milk in the other one as well.  
Garcia stroked his cheek. "See, baby? Works too." Spencer smiled.  
Hotch came back into the room, keeping his eyes on the floor. "Are you decent?" he asked.  
Spencer had just finished and she hurried to get decent. "I am now."  
Spencer wasn't sleepy anymore. He wanted to get down on the floor to play with his teddies.  
"Spencer? Are you ready for bed?" Hotch asked him. Spencer shook his head. "I wanna play with my teddies." Hotch sighed. "Just for a little while then." He went to get three of Spencer's teddies and brought them into the living room. He sat on the floor next to Spencer and beckoned Garcia to join them. He handed Spencer and Garcia a teddy bear each. "We can play together. And talk a little," he told Spencer, shooting Garcia a meaningful look. Garcia nodded minutely. Spencer looked at them and smiled.  
"Spencer, I was thinking maybe you should go back to the daycare tomorrow," Hotch started, watching Spencer carefully to gage his reaction. Spencer looked shocked for just a second, and then he smiled and nodded. "Okay."  
Hotch frowned. "Spencer, I need to talk to you about Mr. Smith."  
Spencer thought of positive things, so that Hotch wouldn't be able to see the fear. "What about him, Daddy?"  
"Has he...touched you in bad ways? It's very important, Spencer, and I need you to tell me the truth," Hotch said, glancing at Garcia. Garcia was so worried about the answer. Spencer looked confused at him. "In what bad way, Daddy?"  
Hotch cleared his throat. How could he explain this to Spencer? "Has he touched your private areas in ways that made you feel bad or scared?" Hotch asked.  
_'I will hurt your mommy if you tell them.'_ Spencer could hear Smith saying in his head. "He changed me Daddy, I didn't want him to... so I bit him..." Spencer looked down at his lap. "Sorry, Daddy."  
Hotch studied him intently. "Are you sure that's all? He didn't do anything bad when he changed you?"  
_'Bye, bye dear Mommy!'_ "Yes I'm sure Daddy... can you please tell Mr. Smith and Mrs. Jason not to spank me, no matter what I have done? Please," he asked hopefully.  
"I'll ask Mr. Smith not to, since I don't trust him after he spanked you so hard, and on your bare bottom too. But Mrs. Jason is a reasonable woman, and she can still spank you if you're not nice. Now, if Mr. Smith does anything, _anything_ at all that makes you uncomfortable, I want you to tell Mommy or Daddy right away, okay?"  
Spencer pouted. "But I don't want her to spank me." He whined.  
"Then you'll just have to behave," Hotch said, ruffling his hair. Spencer let out a disappointed sigh. Sometimes it was really hard to behave. Hotch chuckled and pulled him close. "You're such a little bandit, aren't you?" Spencer snuggled close to his Daddy and started to yawn.  
"I'm putting this baby to bed," Hotch told Garcia, getting up with Spencer. He went to the nursery, tucked him in and gave him the teddy bear he'd been playing with. "See you tomorrow," he told Spencer, kissing his forehead.  
"Night, Daddy."  
Hotch closed the door and returned to the living room. He sat down next to Garcia on the couch. "You think he's telling the truth? It's sometimes really hard to profile your own family," he sighed.  
"I hope he told us the truth," she answered. Hotch nodded. "I'll still have a talk with Smith. Even if he hasn't done anything...sexual in nature to him, I'm still very concerned about the spanking he gave Spencer."  
"Did he really spank him that hard?" she asked worriedly.  
Hotch shrugged. "He was red. I think he scratched him too. Even if Spencer bit him, he should know not to hit him out of anger. If they spank Spencer when he misbehaves, it's okay, but I won't have them hurting him," Hotch said.  
"Oh, my poor baby. I agree completely with you, Hotch."  
Hotch nodded. "I'll set him straight tomorrow morning."  
"You do that. So are you really sending him back to daycare tomorrow?"  
"I guess I'll have to. Spencer said nothing happened, and I trust him."  
Garcia nodded sadly. She'd had a great time taking care of the boy.

oOo

Spencer was silently crying himself to sleep. He'd so wanted to tell his Mommy and Daddy the truth, but he didn't want to lose either of his mommies.

oOo

The next day, Hotch arrived at the daycare earlier than he usually did. He greeted Mrs. Jason. "Good morning. I have to speak to Mr. Smith," he said, cutting to the chase. Mrs. Jason became defensive almost immediately. "If it has something to do with what Tony is saying about Mr. Smith..."  
"It has something to do with the way Mr. Smith hit my child so hard that his bottom was still red when he came home, on the day that Spencer had a fever and had just been through a traumatic event!" Hotch said, getting angry now.  
"He did? Mr. Smith hasn't mentioned anything about him being forced to discipline Spencer. I'm sure there must be a good explanation for this."  
"There is no good explanation for leaving marks on my son. Now where is he?" Hotch asked, completely disregarding the way the other charges and their guardians were staring at him.  
"You can use my office. I'll go get him for you."  
Hotch nodded, and stalked to her office. A few minutes later, Smith came into the office. He was very nervous, had the brat tattled on him? "You wanted to talk to me?"  
"Sit down," Hotch ground out. "First, I want to make it very clear that if you ever hurt my child again, I will hurt you," Hotch began.  
"Did Spencer claim that I hurt him? I haven't done that! I've only been taking good care of him."  
Hotch glared at him. "Spencer's bottom was red, even after we'd come home," he hissed.  
Smith needed to think fast, what other reason could there be for someone like Spencer to have a red backside? And then it came to him, "I was forced to spank him, but he did deserve it. I'm sorry though, that he was still red when you got home, I really didn't hit that hard. Maybe the fever was the reason for it," he lied. He really wished that he'd given his good boy a sound spanking, he thought, just to see his cute behind get red.

"You took off his diaper to spank him. He's just a baby! You will never lay a finger on him again, you hear me?" Hotch nearly shouted.  
"I'm sorry if you don't approve of my way of discipline, and you do know that Spencer isn't really a baby, right?"  
"With Spencer's current mental state, he may as well be. You will never spank my son again, is that clear?" Hotch said coolly.  
"If I'm not allowed to spank him, how can I discipline him when he misbehaves? I promise I won't spank him again when he's in baby-mode."  
"You can hand him over to Mrs. Jason to be disciplined from now on."  
"But sir, I am now Spencer's main caretaker here at the daycare. I can't just hand him over to her."  
"You will just have to. You're not coming near my child. I don't believe you're in control of yourself, and that fact makes you a horrible disciplinarian," Hotch said angrily.

Smith hoped that he would somehow be able to gain the trust of Agent Hotchner and Tony. He needed to find a way soon, so he'd have free access to his newly found obsession, without anyone or anything to stand in his way. Smith let out a sigh. "Okay. I'll get Mrs. Jason if Spencer needs to be disciplined. "

Hotch glared at him. "You'd better. Well, that is settled then. Any questions you need answered about Spencer's needs?" Hotch asked.  
Smith saw his opportunity and he wanted to use it. "If Spencer calls for his mother, how can I come in contact with her?"  
Hotch cleared his throat. "Spencer's mother is not well, and is unavailable. You can call me or Penelope Garcia instead. Her name and number are on the list. Don't upset Spencer by talking too much of his mother. We have decided that for the time being, Penelope Garcia is his mother for all intents and purposes."

Smith was disappointed; he'd hoped that he would have been able to get better information about Spencer's mother, but as that Garcia woman was like a mother to the kid, he decided she would be perfect. He could get whatever he wanted from Spencer by threatening the life of that Garcia woman. Smith nodded. "Okay, thanks." Hotch said goodbye and left.

oOo

Smith went back to the play room and found Spencer. "Come on, time for a change," he told Spencer, picking him up.  
"No! I don't need to be changed."  
"Yes, you do," Smith insisted, carrying him to the nursery. I was still empty, as it was very early. He put Spencer on a changing table. "Your Daddy was angry with me," he started. Spencer gulped.  
"I must say, it was pretty good thinking on your part. But if you ever make your Daddy mad again, I will spank you until you have bruises, are we clear?" he hissed, leaning very close. Spencer's eyes started to get teary. He was so scared. Smith stared at him and smiled. He started caressing his cheek. "Will you be a good boy?" he asked. Spencer bit his lip. Smith unbuttoned his own pants and grabbed Spencer's hand. "Come on, be a good boy now," he encouraged, forcing Spencer's hand into his pants. Spencer's shook his head frantically. "No! Please no! I don't wanna be your good boy!" Spencer cried between sobs. He frantically tried to get his hand out of the man's pants.  
Smith was breathing heavily and ignoring Spencer. He held his hand in place. "You're such a good boy," he moaned. When he'd finished, he cleaned Spencer's hand quickly.

He got a bag from under the changing table. "I bought you something," he smiled, pulling out a small stuffed dog. "Shh...don't tell the others. We can put it in your bag," he told him. Spencer was sobbing. He wanted all this to go away, and just be a bad nightmare. And he didn't want the stuffed dog, he just wanted his Daddy. "No, I want my Daddy," Spencer sobbed. Smith's expression turned sour. "Well, you can't have him. If you so much as breathe a word about this to anyone, I will cut Penelope open. So be a good boy now, and say thank you for the dog," he said cruelly. Spencer panicked. "No, please don't hurt Mommy."  
"I won't, if you're good. It's all up to you. You made me do this, I couldn't help myself. So pretty..." Smith whispered, playing with Spencer's hair. "So pretty..." he repeated. Spencer was still sobbing.  
Smith seemed to snap out of it soon after. "Time for a bottle," he said, lifting Spencer off the table.  
Something inside Spencer snapped and he pushed what just had happened in the changing room deep inside his mind, and now he was completely in baby mode. When he tried to talk only a gurgling sound could be heard. Smith frowned at him and laughed. "Mrs. Jason, would you mind fixing a bottle for Spencer?" he asked her when he walked into the play room.  
"Of course not," Mrs. Jason said and went right to the task. Smith sat down on a couch, still holding Spencer. "Good boys will get milk," Smith told him, burying one hand in his hair. The touch looked innocent enough to anyone watching, but was really far from it. Spencer was so deep in baby mode, that he didn't register the not-so-innocent touches from Smith. When Mrs. Jason had handed him the bottle, Smith fed Spencer, never taking his eyes off his lips.


	16. Chapter 16

**Hey, thanks for the feedback! I realized that I'd messed up while editing. In the first draft, Hotch had divorced after having Jack, like he did on the show. Later on, we decided it was better for our story if they'd divorced before having a child, so I've edited out the mentions of Haley as a mother in the last chapter, and I hereby present you with two chapters to make up for the confusion ;)**

Tony woke up at six am, because he was so excited about the fishing trip. "Dad!" he yelled in the direction of the baby monitor. He was so excited; he was bouncing where he sat.

Gibbs laughed when he heard the excitement in his son's voice. Luckily he'd been up for awhile and had finished his morning routines. He hurried to the nursery. "Good morning, Tony. What has you so exited?"  
"Fishing! I'll catch the biggest fish ever! Like, so big it could eat McGee!" he squealed, reaching his arms up. "Let me out!" Gibbs chuckled and hurried to pull the rail down.  
"Up, up!" Tony encouraged, throwing himself at Gibbs. Gibbs carried Tony to the bathroom, helped him use the toilet, and put a new diaper on him.

"Where're we going then?" Tony asked over breakfast.  
"To my home town, Stillwater. And then you'll be able to meet your grandfather after we're done fishing."

"Cool! Is he really strict too?" Tony wondered. He didn't know how he'd handle two Gibbs-daddies.  
"You bet he is. He's used a belt on me I don't know how many times when I'd misbehaved...by the way, what do you mean 'too?' I'm not strict."  
Tony's eyebrows shot up. "A belt? You wouldn't do that to me, right?" he asked fearfully. Maybe Gibbs was not _that_ strict by comparison.  
"No, I would never do that, it hurts too much. So don't worry."  
Tony sighed in relief. "Good," he said. "Your dad wouldn't do it to me either, right?" he said suddenly.  
"Sorry, I can't promise you that, so you'd better behave while we're visiting him."  
Tony paled. "I will," he choked out. Gibbs nodded satisfied, "Good, then you have nothing to worry about."

Tony finished eating his breakfast. He really hoped Gibbs' dad would be nice. "Are we leaving now?" he asked, as soon as he'd swallowed the last bite. Gibbs ruffled his hair. "Sure. But first we're going to a store to get you your own fishing pole."  
"Sweet! I want a really cool one, big enough to catch a shark." Tony got up and ran for the door.  
Gibbs chuckled and followed Tony. Tony eagerly climbed into the front seat. "Let's go, let's go!"  
Gibbs hurried to start the engine and drove off.  
Inside the store Tony wanted to buy pretty much everything. "Can we get this too?" he asked Gibbs, holding up a really ugly fishing vest.  
"Sure, anything you want."  
Tony beamed, and grabbed a box of colorful hooks too. "You think these are big enough for shark-fishing?" he asked seriously.  
"There're no sharks where we're going." _'Thank God!'_ Gibbs thought.

Tony pouted. "Sure? I'd like to catch a shark."

"Maybe when you're fifty." _'Hopefully never!'_ Gibbs thought. Tony stuck his tongue out at Gibbs and dropped the hooks into his shopping cart. He picked out a neon-pink jar of bait, opened the lid and sniffed at it. "Eeeeew!" he shouted, turning his head away. "Why do fish like this stuff? What's wrong with them?" he asked Gibbs, still grimacing.

"They are fish, that's what."  
They bought a lot of fishing gear, more than they'd probably need, and headed to the lake. Tony kept asking questions all the way there. "Why do fish have really nasty eyes?"  
"Because nature thinks it's funny, I guess."  
"Are we there yet?" Tony asked for the hundredth time.  
"In a few minutes."  
Tony bounced impatiently in his seat. He looked out the window and counted the cars that passed them by. He got to seven cars, before he decided it was boring. "Are we there yet?"  
Gibbs let out a frustrated sigh, but didn't answer him. Tony started tapping his finger against the window. He sighed heavily. "Are we there yet?"  
Gibbs was happy when he could finally say, "Yes, we are."

Tony frantically tried to unfasten his seat belt. Gibbs hurried out and went to the passenger side, where he helped Tony get out of the car. Tony ran toward the lake, forgetting all about the fishing poles.  
"Tony! Didn't you forget something?"  
He turned around. "What?" he asked, and then he saw the fishing gear in Gibbs' hands. "Oh," he said, blushing. Gibbs laughed while he shook his head. He thought it was nice to see Tony so happy. Tony reluctantly let Gibbs help him put on his life jacket. "Do I have to wear it? It's really ugly," he said, eyeing his newly bought fishing vest longingly.  
"Yes, you do, and so do I."  
"Oh, okay," Tony agreed. He grabbed his fishing pole and walked with Gibbs toward the lake. Gibbs patiently taught Tony how to fish. After half an hour, one of the fish bit. "Dad, there's something trying to pull me into the lake!" Gibbs hurried to help him pull the fish in.  
"Wow, it's huuuuge! Wait till Spencer sees it!" Tony said, looking at the fish. Gibbs ruffled his hair. "Yes, it is. We'd better invite them over for dinner tomorrow."

"Yep!"

Tony started fiddling with the fishing pole and got the hook stuck in his hand. "OOOOWW!" he cried desperately. Gibbs hurried to Tony's aid, and got the hook out and then bandaged the wound. Tony cried loudly through it all. "It hurts!" he told Gibbs. Gibbs hugged him. "Shh, shh. It's going to be okay." Tony nodded against his shoulder. He was getting tired from all the excitement.  
"Now that we've got a fish, we'd better go visit Grandpa and get something to eat."  
"Okay," Tony said, taking Gibbs' hand and following him back to the car. Gibbs called his dad to let him know that they were on their way. Jackson promised to get lunch ready. On the way there, Tony fell asleep listening to the hum of the engine.

When they arrived Gibbs carried Tony to his dad's house. Jackson showed him where he could put Tony down for his nap. Tony barely even registered that he was being moved. He was fast asleep within seconds. Gibbs turned on the monitor that he'd taken with him, and joined his dad in the kitchen.  
"So, I have a grandson now?" Gibbs Sr. asked his son.  
"Yes, you do. He's a sweet kid."  
"I'll bet. Probably as much of a trouble magnet as you, though," Gibbs Sr. chuckled, good-naturedly.  
Gibbs pouted. "I'm not a trouble magnet." His father just gave him a long look. "You know you are. He's your colleague, right?"  
"He was..." Gibbs said sadly.  
Jackson frowned. "What happened?"  
"A horrible accident on a case. It left Tony with a trauma, and he goes into a type of mental baby-mode very often. I'm his guardian."  
"Oh," Gibbs Sr. said, eyes widening. "So, you pretty much have a toddler on your hands. How is that working out for you?  
"Yes, I do. Actually very well. Tony is in a daycare for traumatized adults while I'm at work."  
His father nodded. "I see. Will he ever get better?"  
"Maybe not. But I haven't given up on him."  
"That's good. He needs you now more than ever, I assume. Maybe someday you could send him here on a holiday. I never get to spoil grandchildren," he smiled. Gibbs looked thoughtful. "Yeah, maybe that's a good idea. He's never had a grandfather, or a father for that matter, who took care of him." The older Gibbs smiled. "It would be nice," he said wistfully. "I made sandwiches for lunch." Gibbs stomach answered for him by growling loudly.  
The older man chuckled. "Still no white meat for you?" he asked, gesturing to the tray of sandwiches. There were turkey sandwiches and pastrami sandwiches. Gibbs laughed and happily dug into the sandwiches. His dad joined him. "I'll stick with turkey, though. Better for my cholesterol or some nonsense like that," he said dismissively.

oOo

Spencer prayed that Hotch would pick him up soon. He missed Tony so much. Mrs. Jason noticed Spencer sitting in a corner by himself and approached him. "Hey there, Spencer. Are you alright? I promise, Mr. Smith will be back soon, but he has other charges to attend to as well," she said, wrongly assuming that Spencer missed him. Spencer wanted to scream that he didn't want Smith near him, and to tell her what he was doing to him. Spencer just started to suck his thumb instead.  
Mrs. Jason ruffled his hair affectionately. "Come sit with me, then. He'll be back as soon as he can," she said, picking him up. Spencer cuddled close to her, while praying that Smith would leave him alone for the rest of the day. Mrs. Jason smiled and gave him a little squeeze. "You're so sweet, Spencer," she said, as he seemed to cling to her. Spencer started to play with her necklace.  
"It's pretty, isn't it? These pearls belonged to my grandmother," she told him. Spencer started to tell everything he knew about pearls in a monotone.  
"That's very impressive, Sweetie," Mrs. Jason said, patting his cheek. Spencer smiled proudly.  
Mr. Smith entered the room. "Spencer, there you are," he said brightly, walking over to them.  
Spencer pouted. He closed his eyes and hoped he could use magic and transport Smith to Antarctica.  
"Come here, Spencer," Smith said, pulling him away from Mrs. Jason. "It's time for lunch."  
Spencer shook his head wildly, and reached for Mrs. Jason, wanting to get back into the safety of her arms. Mrs. Jason frowned. "It's alright, Sweetheart. Mr. Smith will make something nice for you," she said.  
"No! Me not hungry."  
"Spencer! You have to eat. Now, be nice for Mr. Smith, or you will get a timeout," Mrs. Jason said sternly. Spencer ignored her and started kicking and screaming and he accidently kicked Smith's crotch so hard that he would be unable to feel anything but pain for days. Mr. Smith looked shocked for a few seconds, and then his lungs filled with air again. His face turned red very rapidly. "You little.." he started, raising a hand to Spencer, but then thought better of it, and pretended he was just going to scratch his neck.

"Mrs. Jason. Spencer was clearly out of line, and this can't go unpunished. However, I promised Spencer's guardian that only you would discipline him." Spencer cried, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! It was an accident. Please don't punish me!"

Mrs. Jason was at a loss. Spencer had been out of line, but he'd been through a lot recently, and she didn't really think he could help it. She turned him over her knee and gave him ten half-hearted swats to his padded bottom. "OW! OW!" he cried. Turning him back over, she told him, "You will never kick anyone again, alright?"  
Spencer sniffled, nodding. Smith was not satisfied, but decided to let it go. It wouldn't be good if the brat went running to his daddy, crying about getting spanked again. He grabbed Spencer's arm, a little too tightly. "You're going to eat your lunch now," he ground out, dragging him into the kitchen. He pushed him into a chair and went to get a plate of food for Spencer. Spencer kept his mouth tightly shut, and turned his face away from Smith when he tried to feed him. Smith slapped his cheek quickly. "Stop that," he hissed, watching with satisfaction as Spencer's cheek turned faintly red. Spencer started crying again. Smith sneered at him and forced the spoon into his mouth. "Eat your peas like a good little boy."  
Spencer almost choked. Smith force-fed him the rest of the food, and carried him into the nursery. "Nap time," he said shortly. Spencer just kept crying. Smith changed his diaper mechanically. His urges had been temporarily removed when he took a kick to the crotch. He dumped Spencer into a crib and turned around to leave. "You were a bad boy. A filthy little bad boy," he threw over his shoulder as he exited the room. Spencer would rather be a bad boy than a good boy to Smith. He cried himself to sleep.

oOo

Spencer was dreaming nicely of his 'Mommy' Penny. Sadly his dream was interrupted by someone wanting to wake him up. Subconsciously, he thought it was Mr. Smith, so he so didn't want to wake up. But the voice didn't sound like Smith's. "M'mmy?" he said sleepily.  
"Yes, baby, it's me. I've come to pick you up early. Daddy and I were afraid you might still be a little sick," Garcia said, pulling Spencer against her. "Sleep well?"  
Spencer smiled brightly and wrapped his arms around her. "Yes, Mommy. I dreamt about you."  
"Aww.." Garcia said, hugging him closer. "Ready to come home? We just need to say goodbye to Mr. Smith or Mrs. Jason first," she told him. Spencer nodded wildly. He just hoped that Mrs. Jason or Mr. Smith wouldn't tell her about the incident. Garcia found Mr. Smith on the way out. "Hi, there, are you Mr. Smith?" she asked, feeling Spencer tense beside her.  
"Yes, I am." Smith had a really hard time fighting to keep away a look of disappointment that Spencer would already be picked up. "Oh, alrighty then. I'm Penelope Garcia. Just wanted to let you know that I'm taking Spencer with me now. Poor baby is still a bit tired from being sick," she told him.  
Smith caressed Spencer's cheek. "Yes, he is." He then looked at her with a serious expression on his face. "But sadly that doesn't excuse his naughty behavior today."  
Garcia frowned at him. "Naughty? What did Spencer do?" she asked concerned.  
"He threw a tantrum because he didn't want to go eat and he kicked me at me... uh... ummm... in my very sensitive spot."  
Garcia's mouth dropped open, and she turned to Spencer. "Spencer! You did that?"  
Spencer's eyes watered. "It was an accident..."  
"An accident? What have we told you about kicking? You just wait until Daddy hears about this," she scolded. Spencer started to cry. "But I'm sorry..."

Smith was thrilled. He was happy that it seemed that Spencer would be in trouble with his father. "He has been punished by Mrs. Jason."  
"Punished?" Garcia asked distractedly, as she attempted to comfort Spencer. He may have been out of line, but she still couldn't bear it when he cried.  
"Yes, Mrs. Jason gave him ten swats on his backside."  
"Oh. Well, alright then," she answered. That wasn't too bad, right? "We're leaving then. Sorry about your..ermm.." Garcia blushed and grabbed Spencer's hand, dragging him outside.

When Smith was sure no one was looking at him he let out a disappointed sigh. He knew when Tony got back he needed to be more careful, so he had to stay away from having fun with Spencer. Well, until they all trusted him anyway.  
oOo

Inside the car, Garcia and Spencer sat in silence for a while. "I hope you learned your lesson," Garcia said, in what she hoped was a strict motherly tone.  
"Yes, Mommy." "Well, you'd better not do something like that again, because if you do, Mommy will have to spank you," Garcia explained, feeling pretty stupid. She didn't even know if she could do that. Spencer started to sniff. "I promise, Mommy, I won't."  
Garcia nodded, mostly to herself. "That's good. Let's not talk more about it then. I'll have to inform Daddy when he gets home, though. But we have all afternoon to ourselves! What do you want to do?" she asked brightly.  
"No, please don't tell Daddy!"  
"I have to. You'll be fine; he loves you very much, but I'll not lie to him about your behavior. Now, would you like to play outside, perhaps?"  
Spencer sniffled. He was afraid that Hotch would spank him for it because he'd recently done the same thing to Hotch by accident. But then he thought about what his Mommy had asked. "Swings!"  
Garcia smiled. "Swings it is." Hotch had set up a swing set in the backyard a while back.

As soon as they arrived at Hotch's house, Garcia helped Spencer out. "Come on, we'll change your diaper and get you into some warmer clothes, and then you can play on the swing," she told him. Spencer nodded happily and followed her. Once he was in a clean diaper and a warmer shirt, Garcia put a pair of gloves on his hands and led him outside. He ran to the swing set, and she laughed and went to give him a push.  
Spencer was laughing happily and for a while he forgot about the horrible things that had happened to him. "Higher, Mommy! Higher!"  
Garcia pushed him a bit higher, but not much. She was afraid he'd fall off the swing. "You having fun, babe?"  
"Yes!" he said happily. Garcia kept pushing him. It was a bit chilly outside. Fall was coming and the backyard was already covered in leaves. She figured she'd better get him inside, so he wouldn't get sick again. "Time for a snack," she told him, stopping the swing. "Would you like cookies, perhaps?"  
"Umm, I love cookies." _'Well cookies from Mommy, but not from Smith,'_ Spencer thought.  
"That's nice, I baked some earlier. Let's go inside." Once they were in the kitchen, Garcia placed Spencer on a chair and tied a bib around his neck. She put a plate with two cookies and a sippy cup with milk in front of him. "There you go, Sweetums."  
Spencer happily ate his cookies. Garcia smiled at him. "Drink your milk," she said.  
"Can I have coffee instead?" Spencer asked hopefully.  
"Nope, kiddo. No coffee. You'll get all hyper, and I don't feel like chasing you around."  
Spencer pouted. "But I want coffee," he whined.  
"And you're only getting milk," she told him.  
"No!" He said and pushed the sippy cup onto the floor."  
Garcia sighed and grabbed his hand, smacking it lightly. "You're getting a timeout now," she told him, dragging him to a corner in the kitchen. She cleaned up the mess quickly. Spencer cried and silently crawled away from the timeout corner.  
"Hey! Back to the corner," Garcia said, getting up.  
"I don't wanna," he whined.  
Garcia gave his bottom a light smack. "You should have thought of that earlier. Now, stay in the corner," she said, turning around. Spencer sat in the corner crying. Garcia tried to control her urge to simply pick him up. He was sobbing inconsolably. That was not the point, really. She'd just wanted to teach him not to throw things, and making him this sad was not her intention.  
Suddenly Spencer turned silent. He was sound asleep while leaning against the wall in corner. Only a few hiccups could be heard.

"Spencer? Honey?" Garcia asked. He was sitting too still. She went to him and discovered that he was asleep. She reluctantly woke him up. "Come on, Sweetie, wake up. I can't carry you to bed," she said, stroking his cheek. Spencer reluctantly woke up. He rubbed his sleepy eyes.  
"Come on, take my hand. Let's get you to bed," Garcia said, helping him up. She supported most of his weight as they walked to the nursery. She helped him lie down and went to find a sleeper for him, figuring he'd be more comfortable like that.  
"When's Daddy coming home?"  
"In a couple of hours, tops. You just take a nap now," she said, looking around the room for his pacifier. Spencer kept rubbing his eyes.  
"Spence, where's your pacifier?" Garcia asked, looking under the bed.  
"Under my pillow I think."  
Garcia found it quickly. "Do you want it?" she asked him. Spencer nodded frantically. Garcia put it in his mouth and turned to leave the room. "Sleep tight, baby" she told him.  
As soon as Spencer's head hit the pillow, he was sound asleep.

oOo

Hotch came home a bit late. It had been a hellish day with Strauss breathing down his neck every two seconds.

"Garcia? I'm home," he called as he entered the house.  
"Hi Boss-man. How was your day? You look beat."  
Hotch sighed dramatically. "You know, if Strauss were to get a nasty bout of the flu right about now, that'd be just fine. How's your day been? Everything alright with Spencer?"  
"Pretty much. He's been playing happily on the swings."  
"Okay, that's good. How did it go at the daycare center then?"  
Garcia looked down at the floor. She really wished she didn't have to tell him what Mr. Smith had told her. "What is it Garcia? Did something happen?" he asked worriedly.  
"Sadly, Spencer threw a tantrum and he..." "What? Garcia!" Hotch prompted.  
"He accidently kicked Smith in his... uh... um... sensitive spot while having a tantrum." She was so sorry to get Spencer in trouble with his Daddy.

Hotch's eyebrows shot up. "He did? I've already talked to him about not doing that," he said, a faint blush covering his cheeks. She gasped. "He did that to you too?"  
Hotch cleared his throat. "Well...yes, just the other day. He didn't mean to, but he knows not to kick. Did you spank him then?"  
Garcia didn't want to look him in the eye when she answered him. "No. Mr. Smith told me that Mrs. Jason gave him ten swats. I told him firmly not to do it again, though."  
Hotch sighed. "Okay. I guess. I'll talk to him, though," he said. Garcia nodded. But then she bit her lip as she remembered the tantrum he had with her.  
"What is it?" Hotch asked.  
"He had a tantrum here too. He wanted coffee and as I didn't want to give him coffee... he threw the sippy cup on the floor... I gave him a timeout though."  
Hotch pinched the bridge of his nose. "He's been through a lot. Next time, I think you should spank him, though. He needs to know that there are consequences. I'll have a serious talk with him when he wakes up," he said.  
"But I gave him a swat for..." Oops, now she was afraid she would get Spencer in more trouble than he already was.  
"For what?" he asked.  
"Nothing serious, so forget about it."  
"What did he do, Garcia?" Hotch asked sternly.  
She pouted. "Please Boss-man... he's just a baby. He didn't know better."  
"Garcia!"  
"Okay! Okay! He didn't accept being placed in a timeout, so he tried to escape it. So there's no reason for punishing him more for it, as it wasn't serious," she pleaded Spencer's case.  
"I'll deal with him," Hotch said grimly, walking into the kitchen to get a cup of coffee.  
"Ahh, Boss-man, please. Don't hurt him."  
"I won't. You can mother him all you want afterwards, though," he said with a half smile.  
"Okay," she nodded sadly.

"Daddy! Daddy!"  
Hotch got up and went into the nursery. "Hey, Spencer," he said, picking him up and sitting on the couch with Spencer on his lap. "How's your day been?" Hotch asked, a slightly stern edge to his voice.  
"Hi, Daddy," he said innocently without answering. Spencer played with the button on Hotch's shirt, hoping Hotch would forget about his question.  
"Spencer, I know what you're trying to do. Now, tell Daddy what you did, young man," Hotch told him. Spencer pouted and reluctantly told him what he did, not mentioning what happened at home. Hotch nodded. "And you realize that what you did was bad, right?"  
Spencer nodded sadly. "Yes, Daddy. I'm sorry."  
"And what about your behavior at home? Do you think it is alright to treat Mommy like that?" Hotch prompted. Spencer shook his head and started to sniff. "No, I love Mommy."  
"Then you need to behave yourself around her. Now, you're getting a spanking, because we already talked about not kicking people, and you know better than to treat Mommy like that. You're getting ten swats, alright?" Hotch said, beginning to drape Spencer across his lap.  
"No! Please, Daddy!"  
"You knew what might happen, and you still misbehaved, so you're not getting out of this," Hotch said, landing the first smack to his bottom. He took care to swat him lighter than usual. He landed the next one shortly after. "You will not kick anyone again, understood?"  
Spencer tried to get off Hotch's lap. "OW! OW!"  
Hotch held onto him, and continued swatting. "I said; is that understood?"  
Spencer tried to protect his backside; even though it was padded, it still hurt. "Yes, Daddy. Please stop!"  
Hotch grabbed Spencer's hand and swatted a little harder. "And you will not throw a tantrum when Mommy is trying to be nice to you. You'll be good, and do what she tells you to do, is that clear?" he asked Spencer.  
"Yes, Daddy. I'm sorry!" Spencer started to cry whole-heartedly. Garcia could hear the cries, and she was so tempted to go to him and protect him from the spanking. Hotch landed the last swat on Spencer's bottom, and started rubbing his back. "There, there. It's over now," Hotch soothed. He could hear Garcia tripping outside the door. When Spencer was sitting on his Daddy's lap, he wrapped his arms around Hotch's neck and cried.  
"Shh, Sweetie," Hotch said. "You can come in now," he called toward the door. Garcia hurried inside and hugged Spencer. "Shh, shh. Baby, it's okay now." She looked over at Hotch. "I think next time you should spank me when he misbehaves. I think I can handle that better," she whispered into Hotch's ear tearfully. Hotch laughed. "I know it's hard for you, but he needs to learn," he replied. He kissed Spencer's hair, and let him crawl onto Garcia's lap.  
"I'm sorry Mommy, for misbehaving."  
Garcia smiled and kissed his cheek. "You're forgiven, Muffin."  
Spencer snuggled close to her, but then his stomach growled loudly.  
"Hungry, Sweetie?" she asked, stroking his back. He nodded.

Garcia gave Hotch a meaningful look and he respectfully left the room.


	17. Chapter 17

Gibbs stood up, "I'd better wake up Tony. I want him to be able to sleep tonight," Gibbs said to his dad. Jackson nodded. "He'll keep you up all night if you don't. You never wanted to go to bed when you were a kid," he mused. Gibbs nodded. "Yeah, and I don't want him to do that. My hair is already grey." Jackson laughed, and turned around to make coffee. 

Gibbs went to the guestroom. Tony was still sound asleep. He gently stroked Tony's hair. "Time to wake up, son."  
"Go 'way," Tony mumbled, when something was disturbing his sleep. He pulled the covers up to his ears, sighing.  
"Come on Tony, your Grandpa is anxious to meet you. Wakey! Wakey!"  
"Grandpa?" Tony mumbled, waking up slowly. He blinked and tried to focus on Gibbs' face above him. "Where am I?" he asked, realizing that he'd never been in this room before.  
"You're at your Grandpa's house in Stillwater."  
"O...kay." Tony yawned. "I'm hungry," he complained.  
"There is lunch for you in the fridge," Gibbs said while helping Tony out of bed.  
"Mmm," Tony said, leaning against Gibbs. "Did you show him my fish?" he said, eyes shining with pride.  
"Yes, I did and he's truly amazed. He's never caught as big a fish as you just did. And he's been living here all his life."  
Tony beamed. "That's so cool! Where is he, where is he?" he asked, pulling on Gibbs' arm.  
"He's in the kitchen. But first you need to be changed, and then you can go meet him."  
Tony pouted. "No...I don't want to," he said, trying to pull his arm away from Gibbs.  
Gibbs kept a tight grip on Tony. "Sorry, it's non-negotiable."

Gibbs then led him to the bathroom while making sure to take the diaper bag with him. Tony went with him, grumbling all the way. "I don't even need to wear diapers," he told Gibbs.  
"Really?" Gibbs asked while changing Tony's diaper. "Then why is the diaper wet almost every time?"  
Tony blushed. "Well... Maybe just because when it's there, I don't think much about holding it," he said. Gibbs just rolled his eyes. When Tony was re-diapered, Gibbs led him to the kitchen to meet Jackson. When Tony saw Gibbs' dad, he suddenly felt a bit shy. He tried to hide behind Gibbs, feeling sort of silly. Jackson smiled gently at Tony. "You must be Tony. Nice to meet you, son. Jethro told me so much about you. It's like I know you now."  
Tony blushed and smiled. "Erm, alright. So, you're Gibbs' dad, right?" he asked, coming out from behind Gibbs.  
"Yes, I am. And since you are like a son to my son, it kind of makes me your grandpa, doesn't it?"  
Tony smiled. "I guess. So that means you have to spoil me right?" Gibbs' dad seemed nice, and Tony was quickly warming up to him.  
Jackson chuckled. "Yeah, mostly."

Gibbs just rolled his eyes. Tony grinned at him. "Good, because Gibbs is mean, and he never lets me have ice cream for dinner, or anything."  
Gibbs gave Tony a gentle slap on the back of his head.  
"Hey! It's true," Tony said, inching away from Gibbs and toward his Grandpa. Gibbs just shook his head, rolling his eyes. "Well it's the job of a father to do those things Tony." 

Tony ignored him and turned to his Grandpa. "Ice cream?" he asked.  
"Sorry, Tony. You can have an ice cream just after you've eaten your lunch," Jackson said.  
"Oh, alright then," Tony said, pouting a little. Figures that Gibbs' dad would be just as fond of rules as his son. Jackson took Tony's lunch out of the fridge and handed it to Tony, who'd just taken a seat at the table. Tony ate quickly. He hadn't even realized how hungry he was. He swallowed yet another bite. "So, what was my dad like when he was a kid?" Tony asked, eyes glinting as he shot Gibbs a mischievous glance. Gibbs looked firmly over at his dad. 'Don't you dare!' Gibbs' eyes told his dad. But Jackson ignored him. "He was quite a handful."  
Tony's eyes widened. "Really? So he wasn't always like he is now?" he asked curiously.  
"Really, and no he wasn't. He changed when he joined the Marines and later when he became a dad to... Kelly." Jackson's face looked saddened at the memory of the lost ones, and so did Gibbs'.

Tony frowned and felt a weight settle in his stomach. Gibbs would never get over what had happened, and just thinking about how much he'd been hurt made Tony sad. He blinked when his eyes watered a bit, and cleared his throat. It was so frustrating that he couldn't control his emotions. Gibbs noticed and laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. Tony grasped his hand for comfort and smiled at Jackson. Gibbs glared accusingly at his dad for upsetting Tony. Jackson looked apologetically at him. Jackson got an idea that might lighten Tony's mood; he stood up and got an ice cream out of the freezer and handed it to Tony.  
Tony grinned and accepted the ice cream, forgetting all about his previous bad mood. "Thanks, Grandpa!"  
"You're welcome, son." Jackson smiled happily. Tony managed to eat half of the ice cream and smear the other half across his face. He didn't notice, though. "Did you see my fish, Grandpa?" he asked eagerly. Jackson chuckled. "Yes, I did. What a big one! I'm really jealous."

Gibbs went to get a wet wash cloth. Tony nodded vigorously. "It's almost a shark, I think."  
"Yeah, almost." Jackson smiled brightly. Gibbs then started to wash Tony's face, and Tony grimaced. "Hey! Stop that!" he complained, leaning back in his seat. Gibbs just continued until Tony's face was clean. Tony stuck his tongue out at Gibbs when his back was turned.  
"Get that tongue back in your mouth," Gibbs warned, his back still turned. Tony's mouth fell open in shock. "How did he know?" he asked Jackson.  
"He's an ex-marine."  
"Damn straight," Gibbs answered. Tony pouted, and then he scowled at Gibbs' back. "No fair".  
"Sorry, son. Once a marine, always a marine."  
"Can I play outside?" he asked Jackson.

"Sure. I've still got a play area with swings and all."  
Tony smiled widely and ran outside. He played on the swings for a while, but then he decided it was too boring. That's when he spotted a hole in the fence. He could probably fit through it. He looked around. The old guys were still inside, and Gibbs had just looked out the door a few minutes ago. He could probably get away with it. He'd be back before they even noticed he was missing, anyway. He hurried across the lawn, and climbed out. He found himself in a neighbor's backyard. He grinned to himself. This was way cool. Now he could explore a bit on his own.

oOo

Gibbs and his dad were talking about this and that while they thought Tony was just right outside playing. 

oOo

Tony snuck around in the neighbor's backyard. He found a ball and started kicking it around. He kind of messed up the roses, because he hadn't seen them. Suddenly a man was standing in front of him, looking irate. Tony gulped. This was bad.  
"What the hell are you doing in my garden!"  
"Ermm...I got lost?" Tony said, glancing back at Jackson's house.  
"Lost? That's no excuse for destroying my roses! If you were my son you wouldn't be able to sit comfortably for a week!"  
Tony shuffled his feet. "Sorry. Erm, I'd better, you know. Go home again," Tony said.  
"Home?I haven't seen you here in Stillwater before. I know everyone here."  
"I'm Jackson Gibbs' grandson. But I'll just go then," he said, turning around.  
"Grandson to Jackson Gibbs? Really? He's never mentioned that he's got a grandson," The man said confused, and looked at Tony like he didn't quite believe him. Tony shrugged. "Haven't been his grandson very long. I've gotta get back, or my dad will find out that I'm missing, and..." Tony trailed off, realizing that he probably shouldn't be revealing all of this. The man nodded in understanding. "You stay right here. I'll call Jackson," he said firmly.  
"No...please, that's not necessary," he whined.  
"For some reason, I think it is... better yet, I'll follow you to Jackson's home," he said while grabbing Tony's arm. Tony kept whining and trying to get out of the man's grasp all the way back to Jackson's house. He really hoped they wouldn't be mad.  
"You can be happy that I'm not dragging you by the ear!" the man said on their way to Jackson's house. Tony whimpered. "Dad!" he called as soon as they reached the front door. 

When Gibbs could hear Tony whimpering his name, he hurried outside.  
"Dad," Tony repeated, reaching out to him. He didn't look happy, though.  
"Johnson! What the hell are you doing to my son?"  
"Nice to meet you too, Jethro. Well, your son here just destroyed my roses."

"He did what? But he was in the play area playing..."  
Tony looked at his feet. "There was this hole in the fence..." he began, but trailed off when he saw the expression on Gibbs' face. Gibbs let out a sigh. "Let's get inside, Johnson. Do you want a cup of coffee?"  
"Sure," he agreed. He followed Gibbs inside. Tony sighed and let himself be led inside as well.  
Gibbs then looked firmly at Tony. "Corner, now!" he said sternly, while pointing toward the corner.  
Tony figured that arguing would be futile, so he sullenly went to the corner. Gibbs, Jackson and Johnson took a seat close by, so that Gibbs could keep an eye on him. They drank their coffees while Gibbs explained Tony's problems, so Johnson could understand why Tony was acting the way he was. Johnson nodded. "It must be hard for you. I still hope you'll teach the boy not to wander off and destroy other people's things, though," he said. Gibbs nodded. "I'll definitely do my best, and don't worry; it won't go unpunished."  
Tony heard that and looked up. "But, Dad! Nothing really happened. I'm sorry about the roses, I really am, but I wasn't in any danger!" Tony complained.  
"But you could've have been in danger when wandering off. Now be quiet for at least five minutes."  
Tony sighed, and continued staring at the wall. He started muttering under his breath. This really sucked.

When the time was up Gibbs called, "You can come out of the corner now, but I expect you to give Mr. Johnson an apology," Gibbs said firmly. Tony went to the table, sulking the whole way there. He looked shyly at Mr. Johnson. "Sorry, Mr. Johnson, for ruining your flowers," he said.  
Johnson nodded. "Apology accepted. But you'd better not do it again."  
Tony nodded."I won't." Johnson nodded satisfied. "Can I go now?" Tony asked Gibbs. "Go where?"  
"I dunno. Back to the guestroom and play? I said I was sorry, already," he tried.  
"You can go to the guest room, but before you play we need to have a 'talk'."  
Tony grimaced, knowing what that meant. "But, Dad! Please," he begged.  
"Non-negotiable. Now, let's get it over with."  
Tony followed Gibbs, not wanting to be punished in front of Mr. Johnson or Jackson.  
Gibbs hurried to get Tony over his knees, and started to give him firm swats on his padded backside. "Ow! Please! I didn't mean to, it was all an accident!" Tony cried.  
"Accident? Crawling through a hole in a fence? I don't call an accident. And I have a feeling you knew what you were doing, and that you weren't allowed to do it."  
Well, that was sort of true. "Alright, alright! I knew you'd be mad, but I thought I'd be back really fast. I'm sorry!"  
"You'd better not do it again!" Gibbs said and gave Tony another five firm swats and then he stopped spanking. Tony was crying and trying to rub his bottom. "That hurt..." he sobbed. Gibbs' hand was just way too hard to be human. Gibbs quickly got Tony on his lap to comfort him. "Shh, shh. It's over now."  
"Sorry," Tony whispered. He held onto Gibbs tightly.  
"You're forgiven."  
Tony stayed in Gibbs' arms for a while longer. "Do you think Grandpa has more ice cream?" he asked hopefully.  
"No. I don't want you all hyper, but I don't think he'd mind warming a bottle for you, if you want one."  
Tony smiled. "Really?"  
"Yes, really. You can go ask him."  
Tony got up and ran to the kitchen. Mr. Johnson must have left in the meantime, because Jackson was sitting there alone. "Grandpa? Can I have a bottle?" he asked timidly.  
"Sure." Jackson said and stood up and went to do the task. Tony sat down and waited. "...Sorry for making your neighbor mad," he said quietly.  
"You'd better remember not to do that the next time you come visit."  
"You still want me to visit, then?" Tony asked. He really hoped he hadn't made his new Grandpa dislike him.  
"Of course; why wouldn't I?"  
"I always cause trouble. Maybe you'd rather not have to deal with me," he half-whispered, looking at the surface of the table. Jackson hurried to finish the bottle and then led Tony to the couch to comfort him and to give him the bottle. Tony was happy that his Grandpa apparently wasn't angry, and he drank his milk happily. "You're the nicest Grandpa in the world, I think," Tony told him.  
Jackson smiled proudly, "And you're the nicest grandson."  
Tony beamed at him. "You're not as strict as Dad said."  
Jackson chuckled. "Oh, I can be strict."  
Tony pouted. "Not to me though. I'm your favorite grandson, right?"  
"Yes you are, but if you endanger your life that won't matter."  
"Okay, I'll be good," Tony promised. Maybe he was a bit like Gibbs after all. Jackson nodded satisfied. "What do you say to a game of baseball with me and your dad?"  
"That would be great! I can beat Gibbs at baseball any day!" Tony got off Jackson's lap, and called for Gibbs. He told him that they were going to play baseball. Gibbs happily joined them in the game.

oOo

Hotch was cooking dinner for the three of them while Garcia comforted Spencer. He sighed; it was hard to be Spencer's father sometimes, but he loved the kid so much. Maybe that was what made it hard. Having to punish him always made Hotch feel sad. Once dinner was ready, he decided to go find Spencer and Garcia. He knocked on the door. "Garcia?"  
"Yeah. I-I... uhmm... I'm, you know..." Garcia was happy that Hotch couldn't see her blush. Hotch frowned. "Everything okay in there?" he asked.  
"Yes, Spencer just needed what only a mommy can give him... y-you know..."  
"Oh! Right, I'm sorry. Just wanted to tell you that dinner is ready. But go ahead and finish first," he said.  
"Okay. I'm sure he's finished soon." And sure enough, he was and she guided him to the kitchen.  
Hotch gathered Spencer in his arms. He needed to make sure that he was really alright. "All better now?" he asked him, and kissed his forehead.  
Spencer nodded. "I'm sorry Daddy, for making you mad."  
"It's okay. Everything is forgiven. I know it's sometimes hard for you to control yourself, so I'm just helping you along. I love you very much," he said.  
"I love you too, Daddy."  
Hotch smiled warmly, and rubbed Spencer's back. "You can sit on Daddy's lap tonight. I'll feed you," he told him as he tied a bib around his neck. Spencer happily sat down on his Daddy's lap.  
Hotch started feeding him sweet potatoes. "There you go baby." Spencer seemed happy now, and he sent Garcia a thankful glance. A small part of him nearly felt jealous that she could give Spencer something he couldn't. Then he almost laughed at himself.

Spencer was really hungry and complained when Hotch was too slow giving him the next spoon full. Hotch and Garcia both chuckled. "Here you go," Hotch said, lifting up the next spoonful. "Won't have anyone accusing me of starving my baby boy," he smiled. Spencer just ate happily.

Garcia watched her baby eating. She wished he could stay at home with her every day, but she knew it was better for him to see other 'kids'. "There was a letter from the daycare. Apparently there's a field trip tomorrow. It completely slipped my mind," Garcia said.  
"A field trip? Do they need my consent? "  
Garcia nodded. "There's a piece of paper you have to sign. You can just bring it tomorrow when you drop Spencer off." She looked at Spencer. "A field trip, Sweetness. Don't you think it'll be fun? Tony will be there too," she told him. Spencer nodded happily. "Tony and I are gonna have lots of fun!"  
Hotch gave Spencer a little squeeze. "I'm sure you are. No wandering off, though," he warned.  
"I never do that."

Hotch merely raised an eyebrow. "No lying either, young man," he told him. Spencer pouted. "I'm not lying. I just get lost from time to time."  
"Get lost? You'll do as you're told, or you won't go at all," Hotch told him, somewhat sternly.  
"Yes, Daddy," Spencer said while pouting.  
"Good. Now, it's time for your bath. Do you want Mommy or Daddy to help you?" Hotch asked.  
As Spencer hadn't spent much time with his Daddy yet, he said, "You, Daddy."  
"Alright then." Hotch got up, and hoisted Spencer up higher on his hip. Garcia started cleaning the kitchen while Hotch gave Spencer his bath.

The young man was sitting in the tub playing with the bubbles, as Hotch washed him. "Tired?" he asked him. Spencer didn't hear him as he'd suddenly remembered what Mr. Smith had made him do. He frantically started to scrub his right hand roughly. Hotch grabbed Spencer's wrist to stop the furious scrubbing. "Baby, stop that!" he demanded. Spencer started to cry. "But they are filthy, Daddy!"  
Hotch was very worried. Spencer had always been a bit of a germaphobe, but this seemed strange. "Spencer, there's nothing on your hands. Why do you think they're dirty?"  
Spencer showed Hotch his right hand. "Can't you see it? It's filthy." Spencer could see and feel something sticky on his right palm. Hotch grabbed Spencer's hand and looked into his eyes. "There is nothing there, baby. It's okay," he soothed. Internally, he was panicking. He didn't like Spencer seeing and feeling things that weren't there, considering his family history.  
"Why can't you see it, Daddy? They are! They are!" Spencer started to sob uncontrollably, and once again tried to frantically scrub his hand. Hotch grabbed hold of both of his arms. "Garcia!" he called. Garcia hurried to the bathroom. "What is it?" She asked worriedly.  
Hotch looked at her despairingly. "He thinks his hands are dirty," he explained. "Spencer, listen to me. Mommy will clean your hands, and then you have nothing to worry about, alright?"  
Spencer nodded while sobbing. Garcia grabbed a cloth and cleaned each of Spencer's hands carefully. "There you go, babe. All clean," she said, smiling at him. She had unshed tears in her eyes, and her milk was starting to flow. She couldn't bear it when he was so sad.

Spencer looked down at his hands and he couldn't see them being dirty anymore and they didn't feel sticky. He then started to calm down. Garcia and Hotch helped each other get Spencer out of the bathtub. Hotch dried him off, as Garcia fetched a diaper and a sleeper for him. She brought back his pacifier as well and put it in his mouth. He was still crying, albeit silently now. He started to suck contentedly on the pacifier. Garcia powdered and diapered him, and Hotch helped her dress Spencer in the sleeper. She wished she could carry him as easily as Hotch could. "Boss-man, can you carry Spencer into the nursery. He needs a...Mommy-moment," she said. She was barely even embarrassed this time. Her baby needed her, and that was all that mattered. Hotch nodded and picked Spencer up. Inside the nursery Garcia settled on the small couch, and grabbed a couple of pillows to prop Spencer up with. "Come here," she said, and Hotch placed Spencer in her arms. She smiled gratefully at Hotch and he smiled back and left the room. She pulled up her shirt and unclasped her bra, freeing a breast for him. He instinctively searched out her nipple and latched on. "Better now?" she asked Spencer, stroking his hair. Spencer nodded while he suckled greedily.  
She winced as his teeth got too close to her skin, but she didn't say anything. Fortunately the suckling seemed to calm him down, and he soon suckled more slowly and watched his teeth. She cooed at him and brushed his hair out of his face. It calmed him so much down that he fell asleep.  
Garcia fixed her clothes, waited a while, and then softly called out, "Hotch." He heard her and entered the room. He lifted the sleeping Spencer from her lap and placed him in the crib. They both stood there for a few minutes, just watching him, stroking his hair and face gently. Garcia smiled at Hotch, motherly affection shining in her eyes and they left the nursery quietly. 

As soon as they'd left the nursery Garcia asked, "What was that all about in the bathroom?"  
Hotch shook his head. "I really don't know. I hope he was just overtired and in baby-mode. It concerns me though. We all know about Diana Reid..." he trailed off, feeling cold inside at the thought. "We'll have to watch his behavior more closely from now on. I don't understand what happened in there, and that worries me a lot," he admitted. Garcia looked at him, shocked. "You don't mean that he'll inherit his mother's illness? Please tell me I'm wrong. Please!" Garcia said in tears. Hotch put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I really hope that is not the case, but we have to face the facts. He's been under a lot of stress lately, and traumatic experiences like that can trigger schizophrenia when one is predisposed. I'm not saying that that is what happened, but we need to be aware of the signs, if he starts exhibiting them," he told Garcia. He could barely stand to think of Spencer that way. At least this whole baby-thing was something that might pass. If coupled with schizophrenia, Hotch was no longer sure that his boy would ever get better. Garcia nodded sadly. "Let's hope it's not the case. That he was just sleepy."  
Hotch gave her a strained smile. "He probably was." Even to him, the words sounded empty. Truth was, he didn't know what was going to happen to Spencer. Garcia rubbed her teary face with the back of her hand. "Can I stay here tonight? If he should need me in the middle of the night," Garcia asked with puppy dog eyes.  
"Of course. I have a guest bedroom, but I also have a mattress if you'd rather sleep in his room. And, Garcia? You're an amazing mother, you know that right?" Hotch said.  
Garcia beamed with happiness. "Really?"  
"Really. You handle him very well, and you make him feel happy and safe. You're doing a great job," he said, patting her shoulder. "So, guestroom or mattress?"  
"Mattress. I want to be close to him."  
Hotch nodded and went to find the mattress. He let Garcia borrow one of his t-shirts and handed her a spare toothbrush. "If you need me, just come wake me up," he told her.  
"Okay. I will. Good night, Boss-man."  
"Goodnight Garcia." Garcia put on the t-shirt and brushed her teeth and then she went to bed. The mattress was surprisingly comfortable and she fell asleep almost immediately.

oOo

After the baseball game Tony was so tired that Gibbs had to feed him. And as soon as they'd finished dinner they had to go back home before it got too late, as Tony had to go back to the daycare and go on a field trip and Gibbs had to go back to work the next day. Jackson had hoped that they could have stayed longer, and Gibbs had promised to come back soon, but on a weekend so they could stay for a few days and Jackson promised to come visit soon.

Back home Gibbs knew Tony should have a bath, but it was late and the poor boy was so tired, so he decided he could have a bath tomorrow after the field trip. It wasn't long after Gibbs had tucked Tony in for the night before he went to bed himself, because he was beat. He'd had a great day, but it had also been very tiring. Especially being with his dad; he still felt a little tense being near him, but he was forced to block it for Tony's sake. Gibbs knew that Tony needed a grandfather as much as he did a father, and deep down Jackson was a good guy. As soon as his head hit the pillow, Gibbs was sound asleep. 


	18. Chapter 18

**Thanks for the reviews. I'm on a roll, since I have a little free time now...or, well... I'm procrastinating, really. Oops. There's a little twist in this chapter;)**

The next morning Hotch barely remembered to bring the signed consent form. Things had been a bit hectic that morning, because Spencer was very tired. He'd woken up with nightmares a couple of times. Fortunately Garcia had been able to comfort him, and he'd ended up crawling into bed with her and sleeping in her arms for the rest of the night. Hotch had felt bad about sending Spencer to the daycare center when he was so tired, but he was afraid that maybe he was being too overprotective. A field trip would be a good experience for Spencer. As soon as they'd entered the daycare, Mrs. Jason greeted them."Good morning you two."  
Hotch tried to hold onto Spencer and fish out the consent form at the same time. "Morning, Mrs. Jason. I've brought the consent form, and then there are a few things I'd like to discuss before you take Spencer anywhere."  
Mrs. Jason took the consent form. "I'm happy you'll allow Spencer to come with us on the field trip. I'm sure he's going to have fun."  
Hotch nodded. "About that - of course he can have fun, but I want him to hold someone's hand at all times. He is not to be left alone for any reason. Spencer might wander off if he is not properly supervised, and it goes without saying that that would be dangerous in his state. He knows he's not supposed to do that, but as we all know - the young man sometimes has problems obeying the rules," Hotch said, glancing at Spencer sternly. Spencer looked as innocent as he could, like his eyes were saying; 'What? Who? Me?'  
Hotch raised an eyebrow. "Yes, you Spencer. You'd better behave. We don't want a repeat of yesterday." Spencer bit his lower lip and started to squirm remembering the spanking he'd received. Hotch felt a little bad for bringing it up again, and quickly kissed the side of his head. "So, are we in agreement, Mrs. Jason?" he asked her.  
"Yes, we are. But I think it would be best if he uses his wheelchair as we'll walk a lot."  
"Yes, of course. He can't walk long distances anyway. But then make sure that he doesn't wheel himself around. Spencer can find problems in the weirdest of places," Hotch said, half-smiling in exasperation. Mrs. Jason nodded while smiling. "Don't worry; we'll keep an extra eye on him."  
"Thank you," he said, handing Spencer over to her. "I'll be back for him at five."  
"See you then." Mrs. Jason turned her attention to Spencer. "You say goodbye to your Daddy."  
Spencer was actually looking forward to the trip even though he was tired. "Bye Daddy."  
"Bye baby. See you later," Hotch said. Leaving Spencer here was getting easier, since he was no longer crying when he left, but Hotch still felt that it was hard. 'Perhaps I'm the one with separation anxiety,' he thought ruefully. Spencer was a little sad though, when he watched his Daddy leaving but then his face brightened when he saw Tony arriving.

"Hey Spencer! I caught a shark yesterday; I'll tell you all about it," Tony said, trying to extract his arm from Gibbs' grip. Gibbs let Tony go so he could go to greet his friend. Tony pulled Spencer out of Mrs. Jason's arms and bounced him a little. "I missed you kid!"  
Spencer embraced his friend. "I missed you too. It was boring here without you." "Yeah, I can imagine. This place really loses any appeal when I'm not in it. But I'm back now, and we're going on a field trip too! I'll find something interesting for us to do," Tony said, his eyes glinting mischievously. Mrs. Jason looked firmly at both of them. "You two had better behave, or you won't be allowed to play with each other for a month or join us on another field trip again, for that matter."  
Tony scowled at her. "A month?"  
"Yes, a month! So you'd better behave."  
"We will," he promised. At least he would try not to get caught then.  
"And besides, Agent Hotchner gave us strict orders to keep Spencer close to us."  
"Yeah, yeah," Tony muttered. "Wanna hear about my fish, then?" he asked Spencer.  
"Yes!" Spencer said happily.  
"Great!" Tony carried Spencer into the play room and started what would become a long reenactment of his dramatic struggle with the shark-like fish. "...and then I was almost pulled into the lake, but I held on, just a little longer. I fought with everything I had..." he told Spencer, and a few of the other charges who'd gathered around him.

Gibbs laughed at Tony's exaggeration of the events of the fishing trip. He then turned his attention to Mrs. Jason and handed her the consent form. "Thank you, Agent Gibbs. We'll do our best to keep the two troublemakers in line," she said, smiling. Gibbs chuckled. "I wish you luck."  
"Thank you, I have a feeling we might need it," she said. Gibbs nodded and left for work.

When Spencer was alone with Tony, he told him about his 'tantrum incident' where he'd accidently kicked Mr. Smith in his sensitive spot. And he told him of the consequences afterwards and the ones when he came home; Spencer blushed when he told him that. Tony chuckled when he heard about Mr. Smith's predicament the day before, but felt pretty bad that Spencer had been punished for it. "So, wait, you got two spankings then?" he asked wide-eyed.  
Spencer blushed even more while he nodded. He then bit his lip, "I accidently did that to Hotch too, just a few days ago." Tony didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Oh, man, what did he do?"  
"He got mad at me and swatted my bare behind. I can't even remember why I was having the tantrum when I accidently kicked him there." Spencer was blushing even more, though he'd thought it would be impossible to blush more than he already was.  
"Poor you, man. I don't even want to imagine what Gibbs would've done, though," he said wincing. To change the subject Spencer said, "I'm looking forward to the field trip."  
Tony's face lit up in a smile. "Yeah, me too. Do you know where we're going?"  
"I think you're going to like it Tony, as you had fun while fishing. Even though you won't be allowed to fish there, you'll be allowed to look at all kinds of different fish in aquariums."  
"An aquarium? That's so cool! Do you think we can touch some of the fish then?" Tony asked excitedly.  
"Yeah I've read that there is a shallow pond with fish that you're allowed to touch."  
"Cool! Oh, do you think they're slimy, though?" Tony asked, grimacing. Spencer shrugged. "I don't know." His face brightened, "But we'll soon find out."  
"Mrs. Jason! When are we leaving?" Tony shouted across the room.  
"As soon as Mr. Smith arrives with the van."  
"Cool! I wanna sit next to Spencer," he announced.  
"As long as you two behave, you can."  
"We will," Tony promised, sending her his most angelic smile. As Spencer was so excited to go, his baby-mode feelings were decreasing in order to let the older Spencer have fun. Tony saw Spencer smuggling folders about fish into his pants pocket. "You're not seriously going to read while we're there?" he asked him.  
"Yes, why not? I always do that; it's fun... at least for me."  
Tony stared at him for a moment. "Right...well, whatever. You'll still have to touch slimy fish with me, though!" Spencer nodded excitedly. Suddenly Mr. Smith walked in. "I have the van," he told Mrs. Jason. "Are the kids ready?" Tony scowled at Mr. Smith. "Who does he think he's calling a kid?" he asked Spencer.

"Yes, they are," Mrs. Jason replied.  
"Spencer's riding next to me," Tony told Smith, dragging Spencer by the hand.  
"Sure. He can sit between us. Mrs. Jason told me to keep an extra eye on both of you," Smith said.  
"Whatever," Tony replied, leading Spencer to the van. "Get in, Baby-Bro," he told him.  
As soon as Mr. Smith had made sure everyone was seated and secured by their seat belts, he went to get Spencer's wheelchair and put it in the back of the van. Tony started tickling Spencer, because he was bored. "Are you ticklish?" he said, attacking Spencer's side with his fingers.  
Sadly for Spencer, he was. He was laughing loudly, and between laughs he begged, "please... stop... Tony..." Spencer was laughing because Tony was tickling him, but as soon as he saw Mr. Smith enter the van and saw his stern face, he stopped.  
"Leave Spencer alone, or you can ride next to Mrs. Jason," Mr. Smith said. He didn't like anyone touching what was his. Tony scowled at him. "I wasn't being mean to him, we were just playing," he said.  
"Tony is right, Mr. Smith; he wasn't being mean to me." Spencer said between residual giggles. Mr. Smith raised an eyebrow. "Sit down, and be quiet." He took a seat next to Spencer. Too close. Spencer pouted. He hated the feeling of Mr. Smith's body so close to him. He hoped they'd be there soon. Tony noticed Spencer looking uncomfortable, and decided to try to cheer him up. "So, which one is your favorite fish?" he asked, knowing Spencer probably had several books about fish stored in his head. Spencer mood changed for the better when he told Tony about his favorite fish, the Ocellaris clownfish_, Amphiprion ocellaris,_ and why it was his favorite. He decided not the mention that _Finding Nemo_ was his newest favorite movie. He cried a little when he watched it actually.

Soon they arrived at their destination, and Mr. Smith unloaded Spencer's wheelchair. Tony grabbed Spencer and helped him into the wheelchair. "There you go," he said, and turned to look at Mrs. Jason. "Can I push Spencer?" he asked her.  
"Only if you stay close to us," she said firmly. Mr. Smith scowled at Tony, but Tony ignored it and happily started pushing Spencer toward the entrance. It turned out that Mr. Smith had his hands full with another charge of his for awhile, so he didn't have time to concentrate on Spencer, much to his annoyance.

Tony stopped at the shark tank. He pointed out the biggest one. "It's a little smaller than the fish I caught yesterday, but it looks a lot like it," he told Spencer proudly. Spencer's eyes grew big with amazement. "Really?"  
"Yeah, sort of," Tony confirmed. Suddenly the shark swam toward the glass and Spencer jumped. Tony pulled the wheelchair back a little and laughed. Because he was so suddenly scared by the shark, Spencer started to feel uncomfortable as he'd wet his diaper from the shock. He looked over where Mr. Smith was and happily he had his hands full with another charge, so he couldn't be the one to change him, but would Mrs. Jason want to - especially here? Would it even be possible? All kinds of different things went through Spencer's mind. Tony stopped laughing when he saw the expression on Spencer's young face. "Hey kid, what is it? Did the shark scare you?" he asked Spencer, rubbing his shoulder comfortingly. Spencer started to sniff while he nodded. "Yeah, so much that I-I... uhmm... you know..." Spencer blushed.  
"Oh!" Tony replied, comprehension dawning. "Well, let's go find Mrs. Jason then." He looked around, and wondered where she was. Mrs. Jason walked over to them. "Is something wrong?"  
"Yeah, Spencer needs to be changed," Tony whispered, leaning closer to her.  
"Okay. Thank you, Tony, for letting me know." She turned her attention to Spencer. "Come Spencer, let's see if we can find a place to help you." She then wheeled him to the handicap restroom. Tony pouted. It was boring to be alone, but he'd have to wait for Spencer to get back.

In the meantime Mrs. Jason helped Spencer out of his wheelchair. "Come on, Honey. Let's get you out of the wet diaper," she said. Spencer let her help him out of the chair, and as soon as he was standing he stood there, not knowing what to do next. Mrs. Jason looked around. There was a counter that was rather wide. She lifted Spencer onto it and opened the diaper bag. "It's a tight fit, but it'll have to do," she smiled at him. She changed his diaper as quickly as she could, so he could get off the uncomfortable counter again. She was putting his pants back on when she asked him, "Is it good to have Tony back?"  
"Yes!" Spencer smiled brightly.

"That's nice, Sweetheart. Come on, let's go find him again," Mrs. Jason said, helping Spencer back into the wheelchair. Spencer was excited to get back to Tony, but he wanted to walk. So he stood back up. "I wanna walk."  
Mrs. Jason looked at him exasperatedly. "Alright, then. You can walk for a little while, but as soon as you get tired, you'll get back in the wheelchair, okay?" she said.  
"Okay, but I won't get tired."  
Mrs. Jason rolled her eyes and walked out of the bathroom with the wheelchair. "Come on, Spencer," she said. Spencer followed her, pretty much walking like a toddler who'd recently learned how to walk. Tony soon spotted Spencer walking toward him. "Hi Spencer. Walking now?"  
"Yes. I want to walk like you."  
"Cool. Just tell me if you get tired, though," he said, grasping Spencer's hand in his own.  
"Okay, but I'm sure I won't."

Mr. Smith ran into another visitor.  
"Watch where you're going!" the other visitor said in irritation.  
"Oh, I'm sorry, Sir."  
The other man just growled and walked to another tank close by. Mr. Smith then went to Spencer. "Look Spencer; isn't that fish beautiful. Look at all those colors it's got." Spencer looked at the fish in amazement. "Yeah, it's beautiful."  
"Very...pretty," Mr. Smith said, but he wasn't looking at the fish. "I'll go get Tony, wait here," he told Spencer, heading toward the group.  
"Okay," Spencer said while looking fascinated at the fish.  
Mr. Smith went to the others, and announced that Tony needed a diaper change. He dragged the protesting man to the bathroom, and waved at Mrs. Jason on the way. "We'll be right back," he told her sweetly.  
"Okay." She said and was about to go over to Spencer, but one of her charges started to cry and she hurried to comfort her. Clive was busy reprimanding his charge for banging hard on the glass.

A man approached Spencer. "Like the fishies?" he asked him.  
Spencer nodded wildly. "Yes, very much." He then started to tell the man all what he knew about the fish.  
"You're a very smart boy. Why don't you come with me? I have a book about the life spans and breeding habits of this particular fish. I'd love to show it to you. And because you're such a nice boy, I might give you a lollipop too," the man said, pinching Spencer's cheek.  
"Really? And may I read it? I can read 20.000 words a minute."  
"That is certainly fast. Yes, you can read it while you eat the lollipop then," the man told him, grasping Spencer's hand. "It's this way."

Spencer was about to follow him, but then looked thoughtfully over to the others. "Maybe I should ask Mrs. Jason first. I'm really not allowed to talk to strangers."  
"Oh, that's alright. I'm her friend. She knows I'm here, and told me all about you. You're safe with me," the man said, as he walked faster, dragging Spencer behind him.  
"Really," Spencer said. He was almost falling as the man was dragging him.  
"Really," the man repeated. They stopped in front of a dark van. The man opened the door, and pushed Spencer inside. Right at that moment Mr. Smith arrived with Tony in tow. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" he shouted at the man he recognized as the man he'd accidently run into, as he ran to the van and pulled Spencer back out. The man took off, and ran around a corner.

Tony was about to follow when Mr. Smith grabbed his arm. "You stay right here, young man!" Mr. Smith shouted. A small audience had gathered around, including Clive and two of his charges. "It's okay, the boy is alright," Mr. Smith told them all.  
Spencer was crying. He had been scared when the stranger pushed him into the van. One of the staff members called the police, and he then went to Mrs. Jason and informed her that'd he'd done so.

Tony was confused as to what had just happened. Fortunately, Mr. Smith had insisted that they look for Spencer outside, and what a lucky coincidence. One minute later, and Spencer would have been kidnapped. It was fortunate that Mr. Smith had been able to save Spencer. Maybe he wasn't so bad after all. "Are you gonna call Spencer's dad?" he asked Mr. Smith.  
"Yes, I have to. I'm sure he'll want to know."

oOo

Hotch had almost dropped the phone, when he'd been notified of the attempted kidnapping. He was on his way to the scene, Dave in the car with him. He saw several police cars and men in uniforms and spotted Spencer in the middle of it all, talking to an officer. He rushed out as soon as he'd parked the car. "Spencer! Spencer! Are you alright?" he shouted, elbowing his way through the crowd to get to his son.  
"Daddy!" Spencer sobbed. Hotch quickly gathered Spencer in his arms, and kissed his cheek. "It's okay, Daddy's here now. It's okay," he soothed. He looked around and spotted Mr. Smith. "What happened here?" he demanded.  
"While I was busy helping another charge, a stranger tried to kidnap Spencer..."

Hotch listened to the story, and realized that Mr. Smith had saved Spencer from what sounded like a sexually motivated offender. "I'm very thankful to you, Mr. Smith. I can't even imagine what I'd have done if... Thank you," Hotch told him.  
"You're welcome. I did what anyone would have done to save Spencer."  
"It was very brave nonetheless," Hotch said. From what he could gather, Spencer had only been able to give a rather vague description of the unsub, and the van that was still parked right next to them was a stolen one. None of the fingerprints inside matched anyone registered.

Whoever did this obviously knew what he was doing, because there was not a shred of evidence left behind. Perhaps this man had not targeted Spencer specifically, and had just picked him because he was the easiest one to get alone. Hopefully that meant that he wouldn't come back for Spencer at another time, but Hotch wasn't taking any chances. He instructed Mr. Smith to be with Spencer at all times from now on. "If you have other charges, it must be possible for you to delegate them to other caretakers, at least until we've caught this man," he told Mr. Smith. Mr. Smith had a hard time containing his excitement. Now he'd have Spencer full time. He was so happy. "Of course, and I'm sure Mrs. Jason agrees to it."

Hotch thanked the man again, and took Spencer home. Dave stayed behind, and would get a ride home from the rest of the team when they arrived.

Hotch had called Garcia to make sure she was waiting for them at home. When they were parked in the driveway Hotch sighed and turned to Spencer. "I cannot tell you how relieved I am that you're okay, baby. I love you so much, and I don't want anything to happen to you, ever. We still need to have a very serious talk, though, Spencer," Hotch said.  
Spencer gulped. "Why?"  
Hotch shook his head and brought Spencer inside. Garcia was waiting for them in the living room, and jumped up and hugged Spencer tightly the moment he walked in the door. "I'm so glad you're okay, Babykins," she cried. Hotch let her hold him for a little while and then he cleared his throat. "We all need to talk," he said. Spencer sat down on the couch next to Garcia and Hotch sat opposite them. "Spencer, do you know what you did wrong this afternoon?" he asked him seriously. As Spencer didn't want to get punished, he started to pretend he was in baby-mode. He started to suck his thumb and shook his head. Hotch sighed. This was bad. "Baby, you are _never_ supposed to go anywhere with a stranger. We've told you that many times. Sometimes there are bad men who want to do bad things, and you can't trust them."  
Tears ran down Spencer's face while he nodded. "S'rry D'ddy," he said while sucking his thumb.  
Garcia pulled Spencer into her arms. "Oh, baby, you couldn't have known," she said. Hotch rested his head in his hands. "You'll still have to be punished, so you'll never do this again. You are grounded for two weeks Spencer. That means no playing with Tony after daycare, okay?" he told him.  
"No! Please, Daddy!" Spencer started to sob.  
"I'm sorry Spencer, but it has to be like this. And if you do something that puts you in danger again, I will spank you bare," Hotch promised him. Garcia glared at him, and he winced. She could do a pretty good imitation of a mother bear. Spencer suddenly forgot to pretend he was in baby-mode. He stood up. "I hate you!" he shouted and ran toward his room.

Hotch sighed heavily. "He didn't mean that," Garcia said, a much softer look in her eyes now. "Am I being too hard on him?" he asked her. Garcia let out a sigh. "I wish I could say yes. Did you know that he was just pretending to be in baby-mode, so you wouldn't spank him - especially bare?"  
Hotch looked at her. "He wouldn't do that. Would he?"  
"Sorry to tell you, but he did. Call it mother's intuition."  
Hotch leaned back in his chair. "Why do I always have to be the bad guy?" he wondered out loud.  
He'd just punished Spencer yesterday, and now Spencer had said that he hated him.  
"Because I can't spank him. I can't handle it; I'm not tough like the rest of you."  
Hotch laughed softly. "You're tougher than you think. I'll go see him then." Hotch got to his feet and went to Spencer's room. "Spencer?"

Spencer hurried to put his thumb into his mouth and looked innocently at Hotch. Hotch raised an eyebrow. "Stop that," he demanded. Spencer looked at him, confused. "What?"  
"I know you're faking it. Mommy knows too. So stop it, because you're only making it worse on yourself when you lie to me," he told him sternly. Spencer took his thumb out of his mouth and bit his lower lip. Hotch sat on the couch. "Come here, you know the drill," he told Spencer, sighing.  
"No! Please, Daddy! You said I was just grounded."  
"You were. But then I discovered that you'd lied to me to avoid a spanking, so now you're grounded _and_ you're also getting a spanking. Come here," he repeated.  
Tears were now streaming down Spencer's face. "Please. No!"  
"I'll give you until the count of three, and then I'm coming to get you and if I have to get you myself, you'll be spanked bare. 1..."  
Spencer wrapped his arms around himself. "No!"  
"...2... Spencer, I am warning you..."  
Spencer stood up, but he didn't go to Hotch, but to the door. "No!"  
"...3, okay, that's it," Hotch said, getting up and grabbing Spencer's arm. "I've given you plenty of chances today!" Hotch scolded, as he pulled Spencer's pants down. He unfastened the diaper and put it on the floor, and then dragged Spencer to the couch. He put him over his lap and swatted him harder than he usually did to begin with. "I have had enough of your lies and disobedience," Hotch lectured, swatting harder still.  
"No! No! Please. I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Spencer sobbed. He tried to protect his backside with his right hand. Hotch caught the hand in a practiced move, and pinned it to Spencer's back. "You will never go _anywhere_ with a stranger ever again, or otherwise jeopardize your safety, is that clear?" Hotch shouted, smacking Spencer's backside over and over.  
"Yes! I promise! Please stop!" Spencer sobbed; the swats were really hurting, more than they usually did.  
Hotch gave him three more swats to the lower part of his bottom. His backside was pink and warm, and Hotch decided it was enough. He stopped. "Have you learned your lesson then?" he asked him. Spencer sniffled. "Yes... I'm sorry!"  
Hotch rubbed Spencer's back. He'd never been this harsh with Spencer before, but hopefully Spencer would remember not to repeat this type of thing ever again.

Spencer was sobbing. His bottom was hurting and he was really sorry he'd followed the man. Hotch pulled him up and held him close. "I'm sorry I had to do that, but I couldn't let it slip," he told Spencer, as he wiped away a few tears on his face. Spencer wrapped his arms around Hotch's neck. Hotch held him for ten long minutes, while he sobbed his heart out. When he'd calmed down a little, he took him to the changing table and put a clean diaper on him. Spencer was sniffling and hiccupping. Hotch removed his shirt and dressed him in a sleeper. "Are you hungry? I can make you something," Hotch offered, as he picked him up. Spencer nodded, while tiredly rubbing his eyes.  
Hotch went into the living room and placed Spencer on Garcia's lap. "Please hold him, while I make him something to eat."  
"Okay."

Spencer winced as his backside came into contact with Garcia's lap. "Ahh, baby... Hotch you'd better get him a soft pillow first. My poor baby is hurting."  
Hotch shook his head, and handed her a pillow. "Will this do?"  
"Yes," she said, taking the pillow and putting it on her lap for Spencer to sit on.  
"I'll be right back," Hotch said and went to the kitchen.

Spencer leaned close to Garcia. He started to yawn while his eyes were drooping.  
"Hey, there Sweetie-pie. Stay awake. Daddy's bringing you food in a minute," Garcia said, rocking him gently. Spencer tried hard to keep his eyes open, but it was really hard. Hotch came in with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. "Is he awake?" he asked Garcia.  
"Barely."  
"Spencer, your food is ready," Hotch said, sitting down next to them. He stroked Spencer's cheek affectionately. Spencer rubbed his eyes, yawning.  
"Maybe I should put it in the fridge?" Hotch said, smiling.  
Spencer nodded. "B'ttle... ple'se"  
"Alright, one bottle coming up. Unless you'd rather Mommy..." Hotch asked, glancing at Garcia.  
Spencer was tired, but not very deep in baby-mode, so he's rather have the bottle."B'ttle..."  
Hotch ruffled his hair and got up to fix the bottle. It didn't take long, as he just put it in the microwave. He came back soon after and handed Garcia the bottle. "Still awake?"  
"Not quite," She said, accepting the bottle and putting the nipple into Spencer's mouth. He started to suckle. Hotch sat down next to them and watched. "I really hope I'll never have to do that again. I was pretty harsh on him this time," Hotch told her. She nodded sadly. "Yeah, me too."

When the bottle was empty and Spencer was fast asleep, Hotch carried him to the nursery and tucked him in for his nap. This day had held way too much excitement, and he just wanted it to be over. He knew he should call Gibbs, though, and inform him of today's events and tell him about Spencer being grounded.


	19. Chapter 19

**ANOTHER one :) Kind of sad, though :(**

Gibbs got worried when Tony phoned him from the daycare. The boy was very upset and needed to talk to him. He couldn't believe what Tony had told him about Spencer almost being kidnapped. Could that kid never get a break? He was about to call Abby to ask her to pick up Tony from daycare since he was so upset, but his phone rang and he could see Hotch's caller ID.

"Gibbs."

"Hello, it's Hotch. Have you heard what happened today?" he asked.

"Yes, Tony just told me."

Hotch sighed. "I got quite a scare. Fortunately, Mr. Smith saved him. Maybe we misjudged him. He seems to have good instincts, saving Spencer right on time."

"Yes, it really sounds like it. Even Tony praised him to the skies."

"Yes, well, it all worked out in the end. Spencer is grounded though. And not very comfortable sitting down. He knows not to go with strangers," Hotch said.

"He better not or I want to be the next in line the next time you punish him... so it means that he's not allowed to play with Tony after daycare?"

Hotch chuckled. "It shouldn't be necessary. Yes, I'm afraid so. I have to set clear boundaries. I know Tony will be upset, but it has to be this way," he explained.

"Yes, he'll get very disappointed. He wanted to invite you over for dinner to eat the big 'shark' that he caught yesterday. Well, I could keep it in the freezer till after Spencer's grounding is over."

"Yes, that sounds like an excellent idea. We'd be happy to come, but only when Spencer's not grounded anymore," Hotch said. He liked spending time with Gibbs, and it was good for Spencer to play with Tony.

"Of course. The first weekend after his grounding has ended, if we both have the weekend off."

"Yes, sounds like a plan. Well, just wanted to update you on the situation. I trust Tony told you that we have no leads? Spencer will be constantly supervised by Mr. Smith from now on, in case the unsub returns," Hotch continued.

"Yes, he did. That's probably a good idea. If you need any help catching him, let me know and you'll have a great NCIS team for support."

"Thank you, that is good to know. I guess I'll see you when I drop Spencer off at the daycare," Hotch said.

"Yes. See you then."

Hotch hung up the phone and decided to go take a little nap himself. He could feel a pretty bad headache coming on.

oOo

Gibbs called Abby. "Abbs... stop what you're doing and pick up Tony from daycare. I'll meet you two at my home when I'm done here."

"Oh, okay, Gibbs. Something happen?" she asked.

"Yes. Spencer was almost kidnapped by a possible sex offender during their field trip and Tony is very upset."

"Oh, no! That's awful. Did they get the guy? Is Spencer alright? Is Tony alright? Gibbs!"

"Mr. Smith was able to get Spencer out of the van in time. Spencer is safe but in trouble with his father. Nothing happened to Tony, but he is very upset and that's why I want you to pick him up ASAP."

"Right, right! I'm leaving right now. See you at home!" Abby said, hanging up.

Gibbs let out a sad sigh. He wished that he would have been able to go get Tony by himself, but unfortunately he had a load of work to do still.

At the daycare center, Tony was waiting anxiously for Abby to arrive. He sat at the window and watched the parking lot. "When will she get here?" he asked Mrs. Jason.

"Soon. I'm sorry the field trip ended like this." Mrs. Jason said while caressing Tony's cheek.

A tear rolled down his cheek. "Yeah, me too. I was really scared," he confessed in a whisper.

"It's okay to be scared. I was too when we noticed Spencer was missing and that a man was trying to kidnap him. I'm really happy that Mr. Smith was able to save him."

Tony nodded. "Bottle?"

She smiled, "sure. Let's go to the kitchen."

Tony got up and followed her. He stood very close to her while she warmed the bottle. He didn't want to be alone now.

When the bottle was ready, she took a seat on a chair and made a sign for Tony to come to her.

Tony settled on her lap and started suckling.

Just as the bottle was empty, Abby arrived. She hurried to him and hugged him for dear life. "ahh baby."

Seeing Abbs made the tears return tenfold. "Abby! I wanna go home," he sobbed holding onto her. Truth was, it was way past his usual naptime, and he had a hard time controlling his emotions because of that.

"Sure, baby. We're leaving right away."

Tony followed her outside. They had only been on the road for five minutes when he fell asleep, sucking his thumb.

Abby sighed in frustration when she noticed after they'd just arrived at Gibbs house that Tony was asleep. Sadly Tony was too heavy for her to carry him, but to her luck Gibbs arrived. "Hi Abbs. I couldn't stop worrying about Tony, so that's why I'm here. And I can see it's good that I am."

"Yeah, poor guy is really sad. He's probably tired, as well as shocked. I think it's good that you're here," Abby said, opening the door, so Gibbs could get Tony out.

Gibbs carried him to the nursery, changed him and then tucked him in for his nap. He kissed his forehead before he pulled up the rail.

oOo

Spencer woke up from his nap. He winced when he turned around to lie on his back and he hurried to get back on his stomach.

Hotch had just woken up as well, headache long gone. He decided to go check on Spencer. He assumed he was asleep at first, but then realized he wasn't. "Hey there. Have a nice nap?" he asked.

Spencer nodded. He then stood up not wanting to sit on his sore backside. He had a bad feeling that it would be red. What would Mr. Smith do tomorrow when he saw his red backside? He was so afraid.

Hotch saw the expression on Spencer's face and lifted him out of the crib. He was concerned that Spencer was still sad and perhaps even angry with him.

Spencer sniffed. He wanted to tell him what Mr. Smith was doing to him, but he was too afraid that he would hurt his mommies. So he let Hotch believe that he was sad because of the attempted kidnapping and the spanking. "I'm sore."

"Oh, baby, I know. It'll stop soon." He kissed his cheek. "Are you hungry? Thirsty?" Hotch wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of the day with Spencer, and try to make him feel better.

"Hungry..." Spencer sniffed. "He told me he knew Mrs. Jason and that it was okay for me to go with him..."

"He did? He knew her name?" Hotch asked. Maybe this hadn't been random? He really needed to keep Spencer safe. Fortunately Mr. Smith could help with that. At least now he knew how fast Spencer could wander off. "You want your sandwich now?" he asked.

"Yes he did. So I believed him and that's why I followed him. And yes I want my sandwich now please."

Spencer was happy that Hotch had placed a soft pillow on the chair, so it didn't hurt as much, but it was still uncomfortable. He was so hungry that he'd eaten the sandwich in no time, but a lot of the peanut butter had landed on him and in his hair.

Hotch took one look at him and sighed dramatically, while trying to contain a chuckle. "Bath time, it seems," he told Spencer, helping him up. In the bathroom he started running a bath while he undressed Spencer and winced internally at the still lightly pink color of his backside. Maybe he'd been too hard on him after all? He smiled at Spencer and helped him into the tub. "Easy, lean against my arm, so you don't put too much weight on you bottom," he told him.

Spencer nodded and winced some when he sat down.

Hotch washed Spencer carefully, and tickled his neck with the cloth, smiling at his giggles. When it was time to wash his hair, he had to use both hands, and carefully settled Spencer in the tub. He tried to make a game out of washing his hair, but Spencer didn't seem to think it was funny.

Spencer started to sob as his backside hurt and he hated to get his hair washed.

Hotch finished as quickly as he could, and lifted Spencer back out. He dried him off and tried to calm him down at the same time. "It's okay baby, we're done," he said.

Spencer calmed down until only hiccups could be heard. Then he started to shift restlessly. "I-I need to go potty."

"Oh, alright. Go ahead then," Hotch told him, gesturing to the toilet. "I'll go get a clean sleeper in your room. Be right back," he told Spencer.

"Are you alright?" Hotch asked worriedly when he returned.

"My bottoms hurt." Spencer said why looking at him with sad eyes.

"It will for a little while, I'm sorry," Hotch told him. He helped him clean up when he was done, and re-diapered him as fast as he could to make sure Spencer wouldn't have to lie on his back for too long. After dressing him, he carried him to the living room.

"Is there anything you'd like to do?"

"Watch Star Trek?" he asked hopefully.

Hotch laughed. "Sure, why not? Any particular episode?" he asked, getting up to find the DVDs.

"The one where they accidently travel back in time."

Hotch put on the DVD, and sat on the couch. "Come here, you can sit in my lap, and keep the pressure off your bottom," Hotch suggested, pulling Spencer down so that he was seated sideways on Hotch's lap, with his bottom between Hotch's legs. "Comfy?"

Spencer nodded and then started to ramble about the facts of Star Trek science.

Hotch listened dutifully to all of it. "You like this show a lot, don't you?"

"I sure do. It's fascinating to know that most of what they thought was fiction when they made the show, are now true facts."

Hotch nodded. "Fascinating. Mommy will be back from work soon, she's making pasta for dinner," he said, changing the subject.

"I love Mommy's pasta."

"I know," Hotch chuckled. Just then he heard Garcia pull up. "Here she is," he said.

Spencer hurried up and ran to Garcia. "Mommy!" But just before he arrived at Garcia's side he fell, because of his problems with walking.

Garcia dropped her shopping bags. "Oh, baby! Are you alright?" she asked frantically, rushing to his side.

Spencer sniffed. His knees hurt but not as much as his bottom did though. "A little."

"Aww...come here Sweet-cheeks. Come to Mommy," she said, pulling him off the floor. Hotch picked up the shopping bags and carried them to the kitchen, trusting that Garcia could handle this.

Spencer hugged her. "Physical therapy isn't helping. So I can't understand why I have to go there tomorrow."

"These things take time, Baby-cakes. You'll see, it'll help," she replied, rocking him.

"But the therapy hurts." He whined.

"I know, but it'll help, so you're going," Garcia told him, bringing him to the kitchen. "You go play with Daddy while Mommy cooks, alright?" she said.

Spencer pouted; he didn't want to go see the physical therapist anymore. Why bother when it didn't help anyway and only caused pain?

"Quit the pouting, Spencer. I agree with Mommy. You're going," Hotch told him. "We can get some of your toys and you can play in the living room if you want?"

Spencer let out a frustrated sigh. "Why can't I just be normal again?"

Hotch put a hand on his shoulder, and gave it a gentle squeeze. "You will be, someday. Until then, we're taking care of you, so please let us."

Spencer nodded with a sad smile.

Hotch picked him up and carried him to the living room where he settled him on the floor. "What do you want to play with? I'll get it for you, so just tell me."

"Legos, please."

"Coming right up." Hotch returned a minute later with a huge box of Legos. Perhaps he had gone a little overboard with the toys when Spencer had had his accident, but the boy had never really had toys when he was a child and Hotch felt that he should try to make up for it. He set the box down in front of Spencer. "Knock yourself out."

Spencer smiled happily and started to build a bridge.

Hotch sat down and simply watched until Garcia announced that dinner was ready.

Spencer pouted when Hotch wouldn't let him eat on his own.

"Come on, open up," Hotch encouraged, trying to feed Spencer. "Do it now, or Mommy will feed you, and you know she'll make airplane sound effects too," Hotch threatened good-naturedly.

Spencer then reluctantly opened his mouth. When he had swallowed it, he asked, "But why can't I eat on my own?"

"Because I just gave you a bath. I don't want to have to repeat it after dinner," he told him simply.

Spencer remembered the horrible hair wash and he certainly didn't want to go through that again today, so he let out a sigh and opened his mouth for another spoonful.

Eventually Hotch had managed to feed him everything that had been on his plate. Garcia smiled at him. "Aww, Mommy's little boy likes his Mommy's pasta, doesn't he?"

Spencer smiled brightly.

"Room for a bottle?" she asked him. He was so adorable when he smiled at her; it turned her heart into goo.

Spencer nodded happily. "Yes please."

She got up to heat the bottle as Hotch carried Spencer back into the living room. He stepped over Spencer's giant bridge and settled on the couch turning on the TV.

Spencer looked shocked at the news about his almost kidnapping and he started to sob. What if the man tried and take him again and this time Mr. Smith or his daddy wouldn't be there to save him?

Hotch changed the channel as quickly as he could, but it was too late. Spencer had already seen what was on the news. "Sweetie, it's alright. He can't get you. We'll keep you safe," he told Spencer, hugging him. Garcia heard crying and ran into the living room.

Spencer wrapped his arms around Hotch's neck. "What if he does try again and succeeds? I don't wanna lose you and Mommy," he sobbed.

Garcia rushed over, and started rubbing circles into Spencer's back. "Nothing will happen, baby. We're here," Garcia said.

Spencer started to calm down. He then looked pleadingly up at Hotch, silently asking him to feed him his bottle.

Garcia handed Hotch the bottle she'd brought with her. She'd nearly dropped it when she rushed into the living room. Hotch put the nipple between Spencer's lips. "Here."

Spencer started suckling in between sniffs and hiccups.

Hotch rocked him gently until he'd finished the bottle and Spencer's eyes were drooping. Hotch decided to put him to bed, even though it wasn't even 8 PM. He'd need his sleep before going back to the daycare tomorrow. He tucked him in, and switched on his nightlight and baby monitor. He left the nursery as quietly as possible, as Spencer was already fast asleep.

Garcia was cleaning the kitchen when Hotch came in after he'd tucked Spencer in for the night.

"Hey. Thanks for cooking dinner. What a day, eh?" he said.

"You're welcome." She let out a sad sigh. "Yeah. I just wish that that SOB would be behind locked bars by now... I think I need a beer. Have you got any?"

"Oh, yeah, I'll get two. I think I need one as well," he said. He opened the beers and handed her one. "Here's your 'bottle'," he said jokingly.

She looked with big eyes at him. "Aww, thank you 'Daddy'," she joked back.

He chuckled, and took a drink from his own bottle. He then turned serious. "Spencer told me the unsub said that he knew Mrs. Jason," he told her.

Garcia gasped and almost choked on the beer.

Hotch nodded grimly. "We need to find this guy before he returns."

"Yes we need to, as of yesterday!"

"We're working this angle, beginning tomorrow. Until we apprehend him, there'll be increased security at the daycare, and Mr. Smith will be with Spencer at all times," Hotch told her.

She nodded. "So you trust him now?"

"I think he proved himself when he saved Spencer. If his instincts weren't so good, he wouldn't have sensed danger. He's protecting Spencer," Hotch said.

She nodded satisfied. If Hotch trusted him, then so would she.

"Let's go watch television. I feel like watching a bad comedy show or something," Hotch confided.

"Yeah, great idea. I feel like it too."

The two of them watched bad TV until it was too late for Garcia to go home. She fetched her go-bag from her car, and stayed in the guest bedroom.

Sadly Spencer wasn't sleeping peacefully that night and he'd scream while having nightmares every few hours.

Garcia had calmed him by stroking his hair the first few times, but by the third time, she climbed into his bed and decided to stay. "Sweetie, Mommy's here. You're safe. Do you think you can go back to sleep yet?"

Spencer sobbed. "No... if I do the bad man will get me and do naughty things to me like..." Spencer stopped he'd almost told what Mr. Smith had done to him.

"Like what? Spencer?...Baby?" Garcia asked. Why would he even be thinking that?

Spencer's mind worked a mile a minute to find a good answer without revealing the real truth. "Like what... C-Carl did to M-Morgan..."

Garcia felt cold inside at the mention of _that_...well, she wouldn't call him a man. "Oh, Sweetie, no, nothing will happen. We're all protecting you, alright?" She held him closer and kissed his forehead.

Spencer snuggled closer to her. He really felt safe and protected in her arms.

"Better now, Cookie?"

Spencer nodded and then he started to unbutton her pajama top.

She smiled indulgently. This was definitely easier without the bra. She stroked his hair lovingly. "Help yourself, Junior," she chuckled. Spencer then started to suckle.

Eventually they both fell asleep. Spencer stayed close and kept suckling every now and then in his sleep, and for the rest of the night he slept peacefully.


	20. Chapter 20

**Last one tonight;)**

Two agents were posted outside the daycare center. They were there to make sure the unsub wouldn't enter the building in case he was still following Spencer. It made Hotch feel better.

Mr. Smith came running towards him, eagerly greeting him.

"How are you doing? I'm sorry that the field trip had to end like this. But I'm happy that Spencer is safe."

"Yes, so I am. Please take good care of him. He is my baby," Hotch said, feeling bad about Spencer being any further than two feet away from him today.

Mr. Smith so wanted to scream at him and tell him that Spencer was his baby and only his. But he luckily kept control of his emotions. "Don't worry I'll take really good care of him."

"Thank you Mr. Smith. Call me if anything comes up," he said.

"Sure... oh BTW, does the rule about punishments still hold – do I have to get Mrs. Jason to do it?"

Hotch shook his head. "No. Just go easy on him today," he requested.

Mr. Smith nodded, "of course." He then turned his attention to Spencer. "And I don't need to if Spencer behaves."

Hotch noticed how Spencer shrunk when Mr. Smith said that, but figured he was still sore from yesterday and was just afraid of another spanking. He said goodbye to Spencer. "I'll pick you up at five."

Spencer waved sadly. He so didn't want to be here.

Hotch turned away from the puppy eyes and made his way to the car. No use stalling. A case needed to be solved. He left the parking lot only seconds later.

Spencer walked away from Mr. Smith to play, hoping that he would leave him alone.

Smith followed close by. He put his hand on Spencer's arm. "Oh,no, boy. You stay with me from now on; every minute of the day," he told him smirking.

Spencer looked shocked at him. "But I wanna play, but not with you."

Smith's eyes flashed. "Oh, we'll play, don't you worry about that," he said dragging Spencer with him.

"But I said I don't wanna play with you," Spencer said while trying to get out of Mr. Smith's grip.

Mr. Smith grabbed both of his arms and dragged him so close that Spencer could smell his breath. "Time for a diaper change, I think," he sneered. He roughly pulled Spencer into the nursery when no one was looking.

"No! I don't need to be changed!"

Mr. Smith was not paying him any mind, as he was already pulling off Spencer's pants. "Maybe I should teach you to be a good boy," he growled.

"No! Please." Spencer said between sobs.

Mr. Smith flung him onto a changing table, stomach down. Soon hands were all over Spencer's most private areas.

"Ow! Please stop." He was still sore from the spanking he'd received yesterday and he was almost sure his bottom was still red. "I don't like it. Please stop," he sobbed.

"Awful pink today, aren't you? It looks pretty on you," he said ignoring Spencer's other comments.

Spencer sobbed even more when Mr. Smith gave him a hard swat on his bottom.

"Did you Daddy teach you to be a good boy? Why don't you show me how good you can be?" the man spat evilly, and turned Spencer over, grabbing his hand. "You know what to do."

Spencer frantically shook his head. "No! I don't wanna! Please no!"

"Be good! Or dear Penny gets it, you hear me? I'll kill her, but not before she gives me what you won't," he hissed, forcing Spencer to touch him.

Spencer sobbed while he did what Mr. Smith wanted of him so he could protect his mommy.

Smith buried his face in Spencer's hair. "Such a good boy. I love your hair. You're such a good boy," he panted in his ear.

Afterwards he fixed his own clothes and diapered Spencer. "You did good," he told Spencer.

Spencer felt so dirty. He just lay there on the changing table while sniffing. Praying that Mr. Smith would magically disappear.

Throughout the rest of the day, Mr. Smith kept touching Spencer inappropriately. He was ecstatic that he could now do so as much as he wanted.

Spencer was happy when his daddy finally came to pick him up. He wanted to go home and he hoped that Hotch would let him shower. He wanted to shower the dirt away.

Hotch noticed right away that something was wrong. "Were the others mean to you?" he asked. He had been worried about bullies since day one. That was one thing Spencer didn't need to relive.

As Spencer didn't want his mommy to get into trouble he nodded. "Yes, Daddy."

"Yes they were," Mr. Smith said. "But I put a stop to it."

Hotch nodded. "I'm glad you did. I don't want Spencer to get picked on," he said. He picked Spencer up. "Let's get you home," he said.

"I need to inform you that I had to give Spencer a swat on his bare backside today..." Mr. Smith said nervously.

Hotch raised an eyebrow, and glanced at Spencer. "I thought you'd learned your lesson yesterday, Spencer?"

Spencer looked down to the floor.  
"Spencer had a tantrum. He didn't want to be changed. And because of it he nearly fell off the changing table and almost hurt himself and I couldn't risk that happening again. So I was forced to swat him. I'm really sorry I had to do that."

Hotch nodded sadly. "I'm sorry, he won't behave like that again. I'm very disappointed in you, young man," he told Spencer, frowning,

Spencer sniffed. Why couldn't all this just be a bad dream?

As soon as they got home, Hotch carried Spencer to a corner in the living room. "Five minutes. You could have hurt yourself if you'd fallen off the changing table."

Spencer sniffed. "I want a shower, please let me. At least after the timeout," he pleaded.

Hotch frowned. "Okay, then," he said. Maybe Spencer had messed his diaper earlier, and that was why he'd fought so hard.

That calmed Spencer down. As soon as the timeout was over, he crawled to the bathroom to take a shower.

"Spencer, wait up! I'll help you. You're not showering on your own," Hotch said, picking him up.

It was strange that Spencer was returning to baby-mode now, Hotch thought; he'd been fine yesterday. Hotch undressed him and bathed him. "Spencer, stay with me," he said.

Spencer looked up in a panic and started to wash himself very forcefully, especially his hands. If Hotch hadn't stopped him he would have started to bleed.

"Spencer! Spencer! Stop it! Stop..." Hotch said grabbing his hands. Hotch felt like it was harder to breathe. Was Spencer hallucinating again?

"But they are dirty! Can't you see it? They are all covered in sticky slime! I need to get it off!"

"Spencer, baby, there is nothing there. You have to listen to me. Nothing," Hotch told him, still holding his hands

"But there is! There is! Please get it off!" He said between sobs.

Hotch sighed in defeat and washed Spencer's hands. "It's all gone now," he said, tears stinging in the corners of his eyes. This couldn't mean what he thought it meant. Spencer was past the age of onset. It was not likely to happen, Hotch tried to convince himself.

"Really?" Spencer asked hopefully.

"Really. Daddy wouldn't lie to you. Your hands are clean," he reassured Spencer.

Spencer sniffed and hiccupped. "O-Okay."

Hotch got him out of the tub. When he was diapered and dressed he carried him to the living room. "Sit with Daddy for a while?"

Spencer nodded. He was too exhausted to talk.

Hotch sat down with Spencer on his lap. He held him and rocked him gently, talking to him in a soft voice. "Daddy's here, it's okay."

Spencer whimpered himself to sleep. "I'm not a good boy, I'm not a good boy." He kept rambling in his sleep.

Hotch frowned. Why would Spencer think that? He sat there with the sleeping young man for an hour, just thinking. Maybe he should have Spencer see a psychiatrist. But would he need to contact a child psychiatrist? He was at a loss here.

As if on cue Hotch's phone rang right after he'd tucked in Spencer for the night, and it was Dr. Norman. "Good evening Agent Hotchner. Sorry to call you so late. I just saw the news about Spencer and I wanted to know how he is."

"Spencer is okay...I hope," Hotch sighed. "He wasn't injured, but I'm worried about his mental state," Hotch confessed.

"... How so?" Dr. Norman asked worriedly.

"It has happened twice now that when I bathe him he starts to scrub his hands. He says they are dirty and that he can see dirt on them. He seems surprised that I can't see it. I don't know what to do, and I don't know what this means. I am thinking that Spencer might need to see a psychiatrist," Hotch told him.

"..." Dr. Normal let out a sigh. "With his family history and the trauma he's been through I'm sad to say that it could be schizophrenia manifesting itself."

Hotch swallowed. "I'm very worried about exactly that. Do you think you could see him? I need to know if that is what's happening," Hotch said with a heavy heart.

"Of course. Are you able to come tomorrow? Luckily Diana is in a good state at the moment."

"Yes, I'll make arrangements. It might be good for Spencer to see his mother."

"Good. I'll cancel all my appointments and only focus on Diana and Spencer. I'll set up a private room with an observation window, so we can observe the interaction between Spencer and his mother. But before we get Diana there I want to observe how Spencer acts when he's on his own and when he interacts with you, and then I want to talk to him and do some tests."

"Alright. We'll be there tomorrow then," Hotch promised. He could probably get Garcia to book a flight.

"Good. But you need to expect that it will take a whole day. Do you have someone to take charge for you at work tomorrow? We can't afford interruptions in the tests."

"Yes, one of my colleagues can take over. I have as long as it takes. This is too important to rush through," Hotch said.

"Great. I'll start making all the arrangements. You need to prepare Spencer that'll he'll need some blood to be taken. Diana told me about his fear of needles."

Hotch sighed. "Yes, I'll tell him."

"Okay, and bring all the documents you have from Spencer's doctor; especially from his accident. And by the way - since it's a long flight from Quantico to Las Vegas and back, you can stay overnight if you want. Then I'll have the opportunity to observe him overnight."

"Okay, that sounds great. I'll bring everything. See you then," Hotch said.

"Yes, see you tomorrow." Dr. Norman said and hung up.

Hotch started packing a couple of suitcases. They'd need to leave early, so it was better to just get it over with. He called Garcia while he was packing and asked her to take care of flight reservations. He then went looking for some of Spencer's favorite toys. He would probably miss them if they were left at home. He managed to fit in Spencer's favorite teddy bear, Mr. Sagan, and then hoped he'd remembered everything.

In the middle of the night Spencer started to scream loudly. "No! No! I'm not a good boy! I'm not! Please stop!"

Hotch jumped out of bed when the baby monitor woke him. He ran to the nursery and tried to shake Spencer awake. "Spencer, wake up! It's Daddy, wake up," he said.

Tears were streaming down Spencer's face and he was sobbing brokenly. But when he could hear his Daddy's voice he woke up and wrapped his arms around him, holding on for dear life. "I'm not a good boy." He repeated over and over again between sobs.

"Of course you are, Spencer. Come here," Hotch said lifting him out. "You can sleep in Daddy's room tonight."

The first statement only made Spencer sob even more.

Hotch tried to comfort him helplessly. "It's okay, baby" he said, bouncing him gently.

Once in Hotch's bed, Spencer kept a tight grip on Hotch like he was afraid to lose him. He cried himself back to sleep.

Hotch went to sleep as well, feeling that he'd definitely made the right call when he asked Dr. Norman to see Spencer. His baby boy was not supposed to feel like this.

Spencer didn't want to wake when Hotch tried to wake him. "N', go a'ay! Me sleepy."

"Come on Spencer. We have a plane to catch. We're visiting your Mommy in Las Vegas today," Hotch said.

That's what was needed to get Spencer's attention and he woke up. Big sleepy eyes looked at Hotch. "Really?"

"Yes, really. So get up now, don't want to keep your Mommy waiting," Hotch said, getting Spencer out of bed. He started making breakfast for him.

Spencer hurried out of bed and followed Hotch to the kitchen.

"Pancakes?" Hotch asked.

Spencer smiled brightly. "Yes!"

Hotch made a small stack of pancakes and they ate them together. He got Spencer dressed and by the time they were ready to leave, they were already a little late. "There shouldn't be much traffic yet; we'll make it," Hotch told Spencer as he buckled him in.

Spencer was so excited to go visit his mom and that he'd stay overnight with her. On the way to the airport he kept asking, "Are we there yet?"

Hotch sighed exasperatedly. "Still another fifteen minutes. That's two less minutes than the last time you asked," he said.

Spencer just ignored him he sat restlessly in his seat. He couldn't wait to see her again; it had been so long since the last time.

Spencer was happy when they were finally on the plane and very excited to be in 1. class. Garcia had made sure to get them a private place. Especially needed, if Spencer should throw one his infamous tantrums.  
"Here, you need to put on your seatbelt," Hotch said, helping Spencer with it.  
Spencer started to ramble about planes and accident statistics.  
Hotch was used to the ramblings and merely smiled, a little amused. He gave Spencer a coloring book and a box of crayons. "Thought you might like something to do," he said.  
Spencer smiled brightly and started to draw.

Hotch took out a romance novel that he'd wrapped in a crime novel cover and started to read. After a while, he looked over at what Spencer was doing. "Why don't you use other colors besides black?" he asked, a little concerned.  
Spencer just shrugged and continued coloring black tracks on a child's face.  
Hotch decided to keep the drawing and show it to Dr. Norman later. "You like blue, don't you?" he asked Spencer.  
Spencer shrugged again. "Yeah mostly, but not now."  
"Alright. Are you hungry? Thirsty?" he asked him.  
"Hungry and thirsty."  
"Alright, I'll get you something," Hotch said. He got a sandwich and a bottle of milk for Spencer and set it in front of him, taking away the drawing.  
Spencer started to eat and drank the milk in between. Hotch got out a wet wipe to clean his face and hands.

And again Spencer asked over and over again, "Are we there yet?"  
"In three hours," Hotch responded.  
Spencer let out a sad sigh. That felt like forever.  
"I can read you a story," Hotch suggested, pulling out a brightly colored book about two kittens.  
"Cool! Can you read aloud from your book you're reading?" He asked hopefully.

Hotch's cheeks turned slightly pink. "It's...ahem...it's a crime novel. You're not old enough for it."  
Spencer pouted, "But I'm way over twenty and I'm an agent. You know that."  
"Well, not really at the moment. The answer is no. So you want me to read the other one to you?" he asked.  
"Yeah I guess." Spencer said disappointedly.

Hotch started reading to Spencer, and tried to make funny voices for the characters  
Spencer laughed. "You sound funny with those voices."  
Hotch blushed a little and cleared his throat. "That's nice, baby," he told him and continued reading.  
Spencer snuggled close to Hotch and his eyes started to droop.  
When Spencer was asleep Hotch draped a blanket over him and excitedly went back to his book. He'd just reached the part where the husband returned to find the gardener hiding naked in the bedroom closet.

Spencer was happy when they were finally in Las Vegas and soon he'd be with his mom, but he started to cry when Hotch just told about the upcoming blood tests. "No, I don't want to!"  
Hotch sighed, and pulled him into his arms. "You have to, buddy. It won't take long, and I'll hold you while they take the blood, but we need to make sure that you're okay," he told Spencer.  
"But I am okay. Why at my mom's hospital?"

"Because we know Dr. Norman already. He just wants to see you and talk to you a bit, to make sure you're okay since the accident," Hotch said.  
"I am okay," he sniffed.  
"Well, I hope so. But we need to check it out. And you'll still get to see your Mommy, alright?" Hotch said, smiling at him.  
"Okay," he said, but in a very sad voice. He only wanted to visit his mom and nothing else.

They arrived at the sanitarium around noon. "We have an appointment with Dr. Norman," Hotch told the woman at the front desk.  
"Agent Hotchner?" The woman asked.  
"Yes, and Dr. Spencer Reid," he confirmed.  
She smiled at them, obviously recognizing Spencer now, and said. "Wait here; I'll call Dr. Norman."  
She called Dr. Norman and few minutes later he was there to greet them.

"Hi, Spencer. I'm happy to see you again."

Spencer looked shyly down at the floor. "H-Hi."  
"Dr. Norman," Hotch greeted shaking his hand. "How do you want to begin?"  
"We can start by going into the private room I mentioned yesterday. It's big enough to do all the tests that I have planned."  
"I want to see my mommy and only that. I don't want any stupid tests." Spencer whined.

"You can see your mother, but there are a few tests I'd like to do as well," Dr. Norman responded.

Hotch put an arm around Spencer. "It'll be alright," he told him.  
Spencer pouted and then he started to get angry. "You were more fun on the phone." He was about to stomp his foot, as he didn't believe Hotch.  
"Spencer!" Hotch said, clearly a warning. "Be nice to Dr. Norman."

"It's okay, Agent Hotchner. I can understand his disappointment."

"Yes, well, we still can't have him behaving badly," Hotch explained.

Spencer pouted but he looked up and forced an apology out.

"You're forgiven. If you'll be a good boy, I'll give you a lollipop."  
Spencer looked shocked at him and then started to sob. "I'm not a good boy! I'm not!"

Hotch grabbed him and pulled him against his chest. "Shh, Spencer, it's alright." Hotch looked at the doctor. "I am sorry, Dr. Norman. It seems to be a problem at the moment. He wakes up screaming that he's not a good boy," Hotch said with a frown, as he stroked Spencer's hair.

Dr. Norman saw an orderly keeping an eye on them, and he gave him a sign not to worry. "Come on. Let's go to the room."

Hotch picked Spencer up and followed Dr. Norman. Spencer wrapped his arms around Hotch still sobbing. Hotch stroked his back, and kept walking.

Once in the room Dr. Norman asked him to lay Spencer on the bed. "Does he have anything that he likes to get comfort from? Like a teddy bear or anything? We need to get him comfortable and calm before I can start. I don't want to traumatize him more than he already is."

"Of course. I have brought his teddy bear," Hotch said, getting Mr. Sagan from the diaper bag and handing it to Spencer.

Spencer hugged Mr. Sagan close. He started to shift restlessly. He was uncomfortable.

"What is it Spencer?" Hotch asked.

He looked shyly over to Dr. Norman and then at Hotch and whispered. "I-I'm wet." He blushed.

"Oh, let's fix that shall we. Dr. Norman, is there somewhere I can change Spencer?" Hotch asked.

"Sure, let me show you." He did, and let them have some privacy.

Hotch changed Spencer quickly but gently. He was still a little sad and scared, and he didn't want to upset him further.

Once back in the room Dr. Norman gave Spencer an ice cream, not daring to give him a lollipop afraid how he would react to it. "Here Spencer, because you are a sweet boy." He said making sure not to say 'good' boy.  
Spencer smiled brightly and took the ice cream.

Hotch ruffled his hair. "Say thank you Spencer," he said smiling.

"Thank you Spencer." Spencer said. Hotch rolled his eyes.

Dr. Norman laughed. "You're a little smart mouth aren't you?" He asked Spencer.

Spencer was busy eating his ice cream.

Hotch smiled at Dr. Norman. "He is," he told him.

Dr. Norman smiled. While Spencer was eating his ice cream Dr. Norman went over Spencer's medical file.

"Is Spencer's mother still lucid?" Hotch asked.

"Yes, fortunately she is, so it shouldn't be any trouble for him to see her."

"Okay, I am glad. The last thing Spencer needs right now is to deal with a psychotic mother, but he is very close with her, and if she is lucid I believe Spencer will benefit from seeing her," he told Dr. Norman.

"Yes, hopefully. Is there anything else you need to tell me about Spencer's strange behavior? I don't mean the behavior of a child, but like the reaction to me calling him a..." he said and then whispered, "good boy?"

Hotch sighed. "I don't know. If he is sometimes psychotic it could mean anything, and we'd have to figure out his psychosis in order to understand it. I just don't know. It's only recently that he's been objecting to it. Do you have any ideas what it could be, if not psychosis?" he asked.

Dr. Norman let out a sad sigh. "Yes, I've got one, but you're not going to like it either."

"Just tell me. I need to know," Hotch said.

"They way you have explained to me about the obsessive washing of his hands and other things... it could be signs of past or present sexual abuse."

Hotch swallowed. "No. No, I... I would know," he said, panic rising.

"Really? I know you are a profiler, but this is personal. You can't always tell when someone close to you has been hurt."

"I don't know much about Spencer's father. If he...could something be...resurfacing?" he asked. He couldn't even think about that bastard doing anything to Spencer. He thought of a photograph he'd seen of Spencer as a toddler, and felt sick. How could someone be so heartless?

"Yes, it could. Just a picture of his father or the mention of him could have set it off."

"If that bastard touched him..." Hotch seethed, careful not attract Spencer's attention. "How can we determine if that is the case?"

"I could use the same methods I do with children. Let him play with dolls which are very anatomically correct and ask him about it."

Hotch's eyebrows shot up. "Oh, Spencer is really not very fond of dolls. There was an incident in his daycare..." Hotch explained it to Dr. Norman.

Dr. Norman nodded in understanding. "Okay, I could use teddy bears then."

"That would be better," Hotch agreed.

"But first we need to rule out schizophrenia."

"Alright," Hotch said sadly.

Suddenly Spencer screamed. "Get off! Get it off!" He said while looking at his hands covered in white ice cream.

Hotch rushed to Spencer's side. "Baby, calm down..."

"Get it off! Get it off! Please!" Spencer pleaded with sad eyes. Dr. Norman hurried to them. "Spencer, what do you see on your hands? Do you know what it is?"  
Spencer nodded sadly while sobbing.

Hotch put a hand on his shoulder. "What is it, buddy?"

"I-it's s-semen..." Spencer sobbed. "Get it off!"

Hotch felt tears burning in the corners of his eyes. "How did it get there?" he asked fearfully.

"Spencer is it your own? Did you play with your penis? It's okay if you did. It isn't naughty."  
Spencer frantically shook his head. "No! I didn't."  
Dr. Normal looked at Hotch. "Sorry, but I need to ask him something and as a profiler you know that." He then turned his attention back to Spencer. "Spencer is the semen from Agent Hotchner?"


	21. Chapter 21

**Thanks for all the nice reviews :)**

Hotch felt like he'd been punched in the stomach.

Spencer shook his head frantically. "No! Hotch... Daddy never hurts me like that! He would never do that to me!"

"I would _never_ do anything to harm my son," Hotch said, nearly growling at Dr. Norman. He knew the man was only doing his job, but it still felt bad to be questioned like that.

"I know and I'm sorry, but I had to ask the question. Someone in your profession knows that." He turned his attention back to Spencer. "Don't be afraid Spencer. Tell me who the semen is from? Who did this to you? You're safe here."

"I-I can't tell you... he'll hurt M-mommy if I-I do..." Spencer said between sobs.

"Who will hurt Mommy? Spencer, your mother is safe here," Dr. Norman said.

"No! No! She isn't; he told me! If I'm a good boy, he'll not hurt mommy."

Hotch closed his eyes, suppressing tears. "Baby, it is very important that you tell us who did it," he said, wiping the ice cream off Spencer's hands.

Spencer knew he couldn't tell them about Mr. Smith; it would only be bad for Mommy. Then he suddenly saw images of his father doing stuff to him things that an adult never should do to a child. "Father!" He sobbed, and he wasn't even lying. All the horrible things that his dad had done to him as a child came back full force and he broke down completely in his Daddy's arms. "Father! It's was my father!"

Hotch held him closely as he cried. Inside he was seething with rage. William Reid was going to pay for this one way or another. He glanced at Dr. Norman worriedly.

"He'll need therapy to get through this. I'm now very positive we can rule out schizophrenia."

Hotch didn't know whether to feel relieved or frightened at that. "I'll make sure he sees a therapist," he told him.

"I can recommend some good ones. I wish I was nearby so I could be his therapist."

"Yes, I do as well, but I'll be happy to call someone you recommend," Hotch said, cradling Spencer against his chest.

Dr. Norman nodded. "I noticed you had a bottle in the diaper bag. Does the bottle help comfort him when he's this sad?"

"Yes, would you get it for me?" he asked.

"Of course." Dr. Norman stood up and got the bottle out of the diaper bag and some baby formula and went to get it ready for use.

Hotch kept rocking Spencer, and gratefully accepted the bottle from Dr. Norman the moment he returned. "Here, Spencer, here's your bottle," he whispered. Spencer started to suckle desperately.

When Spencer had finished the bottle, he fell asleep. "Can I put him down somewhere for a nap?"

"Yes, you can put him on the bed here in this room. You can put the sides up so it works like rails on a crib."

Hotch did as told. "Maybe we should prepare Diana for the state that Spencer is in at the moment. She hasn't seen him since the accident," Hotch suggested.

"Yes, you're right. She needs to be prepared."

* * *

They found Diana in her room, reading. She seemed to be in good spirits. "Mrs. Reid?" Hotch said.

Diana looked up and smiled when she noticed who it was. "Agent Hotchner." She then looked behind him like she was looking for someone. "Where is Spencer? Is he here with you?"

"Yes, he is. He is taking a nap right now. We would like to speak with you before he wakes up," Hotch told her, sitting down next to her.

She nodded. "Okay. I can't wait to see him."

"Mrs. Reid... Spencer won't be like you remember him. He was in an accident at work..." Hotch explained what had happened, without adding too many details. "...so he basically functions like a child or even a baby at the moment. He does have good days, where he's closer to his old self, but mostly he is in a state where he cannot take care of himself. I am his legal guardian at the moment, and he lives with me. Spencer misses you very much, and I think it would be good for him to see you. I just needed you to know, so he won't be confused that you react differently than he expects," he told her in a calm voice. He needed to deliver this gently. He didn't want to trigger a new episode.

She nodded sadly. "Please tell me that I didn't give him my illness."

"You didn't. Diana, listen to me; it is nothing like that. Spencer has been through something traumatic, and this is his mind's way of dealing with it. He may very well return to his old self with no permanent consequences," Hotch assured her.

She nodded again and then looked sternly at him. "You'd better not lock him up in a place like this. I will hunt you down, I promise you that."

Hotch smiled at her. "I won't, I promise. Your son is safe with me; even if he never returns to his old self, he still has a home with me. Well, and if he gets better, he will still be a part of my family."

She smiled satisfied. "That's good, you'll be a better father to him than his real one. I wish I had killed him a long time ago. He was never good for Spencer and that's why I had to kick him out; I had to save my son."

Hotch smiled stiffly. "Yes," he said, 'you and me both' he added in his mind. "Well, if you'll come with me, we'll go see Spencer. It might take a while for him to wake up. He was upset when he fell asleep and might still be, so give him some time and be patient with him," Hotch advised, getting up.

"Okay. Please get me to my son as soon as possible."

Dr. Norman led the way back to the room Spencer was in. Hotch lifted Spencer out of the bed, trying to wake him up. "Baby, your Mommy is here to see you," he said.

Spencer started to stir. Diana went to him and hugged him. "Hi baby. I'm here. Mommy is here."  
Spencer woke completely and hugged her back. "Mommy!"

"How are you? Is Agent Hotchner treating you alright?" she asked, winking at Hotch.

"Yeah, mostly. Not when he makes me eat vegetables or makes me see the physiotherapist. It hurts and, and..." Spencer rambled away.

Diana listened to him, smiling. It hurt to see him like this, but it also brought back happy memories of her brilliant little baby. "Vegetables are good for you Spencer, you know that," she told him.

Spencer pouted. "Whose side are you on? You should be on mine, you know."

"I am. I'm on the side that keeps you healthy and strong," she scolded mildly, bringing him closer to her.

Dr. Normal laughed at Spencer's pout.

"Now, be nice Spencer," Diana told him, patting his backside. She stared at Hotch when she felt the diaper. She hadn't realized he'd regressed that much. Hotch nodded at her. "It's necessary at the moment," he told her. She nodded sadly.

"I think I will go find something to eat," Hotch said, knowing that Dr. Norman would probably want to observe Diana and Spencer interacting alone.

As soon as Hotch left, Dr. Norman went to the observation room and observed their interaction through a two-way mirror.

"So, Spencer. Have you brought any toys or books? Mommy would love to see them," she told Spencer kindly.

Spencer nodded and stood up waddling toward the bag with his toys. Diana watched him fondly. She did miss the old days sometimes. "Let Mommy see that."

Spencer happily showed his mommy all of the toys that he had brought with him, including his favorite teddy, Mr. Sagan.

Diana started to play with him. They were doing a puzzle together. Spencer was incredibly fast as usual.

Spencer told her all about his new friend Tony and how he was sad that Hotch wouldn't allow him to play with him for two weeks.

"For two weeks? You're grounded?" she asked confused. The Spencer she remembered rarely misbehaved. Spencer bit his lower lip and he looked embarrassedly down at the floor. "Yes."

"Oh, Spencer!" she said. "You have to be good for your new Daddy."

Spencer shrugged. "I try. I really try, but it's hard.

"It's hard? You were always so well behaved," she said. "Maybe Agent Hotchner is spoiling you too much." She smiled at him. Spencer shrugged and just played with his toys.

"I've missed you, baby. I'm so happy you're here," she said.

"I've missed you too, Mommy."

"Come here. Give your mother a hug," she encouraged, opening her arms to him.

He hurried to do as asked. "I've missed you so much, Mommy."

"I know. I'm here now," she soothed, rocking him. "I remember when you were little, you did just that same thing you're doing now, pressing your face against my left shoulder," she told him.

"And I remember you reading me stories. Read me a story please." Spencer said.

"Alright." Diana got a book from his bag. She took one look at the brightly colored cover of the crime novel and frowned. "Agent Hotchner believes this is good literature?" she asked.

"Please read it to me. Daddy didn't want to on the plane - said I'm not old enough. And you know I'm not a baby, that I'm over twenty. Right?"

"Right, I know that," Diana said smiling. She opened the book and her frown deepened. "Danielle Steel?" She flipped a few of the pages and shook her head. "I'll see if there's something else, baby," she said, going back to the bag.

Spencer pouted with disappointment.

Diana sighed in frustration as she went through the books. She couldn't believe that that Agent Hotchner was polluting her baby's mind with books like these. Finally, she settled on a much chopped up version of The Little Mermaid, and sat down next to Spencer and began to read.

Spencer snuggled close and enjoyed hearing his mommy reading to him. Diana stroked Spencer's hair as she read to him, just like old times. When she was done, she set the book down. Spencer was squirming a little. "Was is it, baby?"

"I-I'm wet," he said embarrassed.

"Oh. Well, I'll help you with that. Do you have a diaper bag here?" she asked looking around.

He nodded and pointed to where it was.

Diana got the bag and kneeled on the floor next to him. She started removing his pants and the wet diaper. "I still remember how to do this," she told him, winking at him. "You're a bit bigger this time, though." She managed just fine in spite of his size. "You don't weigh much. I've told you to eat more," she said as she cleaned him with a wet wipe and put a clean diaper on him.

"I do, even though I don't want to. Daddy makes me do it. He wants me to get more meat on my bones."

"Yes, well then your Daddy is probably a smart man after all. A literary disaster, but a smart man none the less," she told him.

Spencer didn't answer, as he happily started to suck his thumb.

Diana buttoned his pants, watching him. It was strange seeing her grown son sucking his thumb again, but also oddly endearing. "There! All done."

Spencer took his thumb out of his mouth and sat up. Wondering what they should do now.

"I wonder if Agent Hotchner actually intends to bring us food. Dr. Norman!" Diana shouted at the mirror. "Do you intend to starve us to death in here? I usually have my coffee and afternoon snack earlier than this."

Dr. Norman entered to room. "Of course not. I'll go get something for you two. What should I get for Spencer? Another bottle?"  
Spencer looked pleadingly at his mommy. "Coffee in my bottle please?"

"Coffee? Are you supposed to have that?"

Spencer nodded. "Daddy always gives me coffee in my bottle," he lied. Dr. Norman looked skeptical and then looked questioningly at Diana.

"Spencer, don't lie to me," she said, squinting at him. Spencer pouted. Why did his mommy always know when he lied to her? he wondered.

As if reading his thoughts, Diana replied. "A mother knows, Spencer." She turned to Dr. Norman. "A bottle of milk for my son will be just fine. And a cupcake, perhaps," she added smiling.

'Uhmm, cupcakes', Spencer thought and smiled brightly.  
"Cupcakes and a bottle of milk coming right up," Dr. Norman said.

Diana watched Spencer fidget with excitement until Dr. Norman returned. He handed Spencer a cupcake with bright pink icing and sat down a bottle next to him on the table. Diana had her usual cup of coffee and a blueberry cookie.

Spencer smiled brightly. "Thank you Dr. N."

"Dr. N," Diana repeated. "Perhaps I can convince the other patients to make that your official title from now on," she commented dryly.

Dr. Norman frowned at that and Spencer laughed because of it.

"That's my boy," Diana said, eyes twinkling.

Dr. Norman rolled his eyes and went back to the observation room.

Diana watched as Spencer licked pink icing off his long fingers. "You still have a sweet tooth, don't you?" she said fondly. Spencer nodded happily while sucking his fingers.

"Drink your milk too," she encouraged. He did so but a few minutes later he tried to take a sip from his mommy's coffee.

"Spencer, put that down! No coffee for you. Drink your milk instead, it's much better for you," Diana scolded, taking the cup from her son's hands.

Spencer wrapped his arms around himself and pouted. Diana recognized that particular look. He used to do it when he was around four. Always happened when she told him to put away his books because it was bedtime. "Come here, Spencer. I'll feed you the bottle then," she suggested. Spencer snuggled close and let her feed him the bottle.

* * *

Hotch came back from his coffee break. He stood next to Dr. Norman. "So, what do you think?" he asked, watching as Diana fed Spencer.

"That you were right that she is good for Spencer. And I found out that you are good for him too."

Hotch smiled. "Thank you," he said. It was nice to hear that he was doing the right thing.

"I have a feeling that he's still like this because a part of him doesn't wish to return to normal. He enjoys being a child, since he never really got the chance the first time around. Of course it started because of the traumatic experience, but I think he needs to live this out. Just keep doing what you are doing, and I'm sure he'll be back in due time."

Hotch was very relieved to hear that. It meant that the old Spencer wasn't completely lost somewhere in his own mind. "I will, thank you doctor."

"You're welcome. I think you should go back to them and join the family get-together."

Even though Spencer noticed Hotch coming into the room, he kept suckling.

"Seems like you have everything under control here, Mrs. Reid," Hotch commented, smiling.

She nodded happily. "Yeah, it's like old times. I never knew how much I've missed this."

"We'll make sure to visit more often from now on," Hotch promised. It was probably good for both of them.

"Thank you, Hotch... Am I allowed to call you Hotch?"

"Of course, we're practically family now."

She smiled brightly. "Yes, we are."

"Well, then - Diana - we'll be back for Christmas, if not sooner," Hotch said.

"I'm looking forward to it. I'd love to spend Christmas with you two."  
Spencer smiled brightly at that. He then emptied the bottle and let out a contented sigh.

The three of them spent the rest of the afternoon chatting and playing whenever Spencer insisted upon it. They had dinner together, and not long after Spencer started to get tired, even though he was hiding it. "Maybe we should get you to bed, Spencer. The plane leaves rather early," Hotch suggested.

Spencer pouted. "I'm not sleepy," he said, hiding a yawn.

"You are. I'm not buying that, so don't even try. Let's go get you ready for bed," Hotch said.

Spencer looked hopefully at his mommy, but pouted when she wouldn't buy it either.

"I can tuck you in," Diana suggested. As it's been a long time since his mommy had tucked him in, he was happy to let her.

Diana followed Hotch and Spencer to the room they'd been given earlier, and Hotch let her bathe and dress Spencer for bed.

While Diana was bathing Spencer he said. "Please Mommy, order Daddy to allow me to get a haircut. I want it really short."

"A haircut? But you have such nice hair. Almost like a knight," she said. He liked the sound of it, but he remembered the thing with the girls and Mr. Smith's comment on his long hair. "I want it short. Please, Mommy."  
"If your Daddy doesn't allow it, I won't either. I don't understand why you'd want to cut it in the first place," she said.  
Spencer pouted. "It's my hair."  
Diana merely smiled at him. "I think you're tired. Let's finish here, so we can get you to bed."  
"You're not going to wash my hair are you?" he asked worriedly.  
"Yes, I am. I'll be careful to keep the shampoo away from your eyes, " Diana said as she poured shampoo into the palm of her hand.  
Spencer kept his eyes tightly shut while whimpering. He really hated getting his hair washed.  
Diana had had plenty of practice in this area. He was exactly the same when he was younger. "There, all clean. It wasn't that bad, was it?" she said, helping him out of the tub.  
"Says you," he said, pouting.  
Diana ignored him and dried him off. She diapered him and dressed him for bed. Hotch wished Spencer goodnight and stepped back to let Diana tuck Spencer in.

"I can read you a bedtime story?" Diana said.  
Spencer smiled brightly. "Yes!" He loved when his mommy read to him.  
Diana settled on the bed, with Spencer in her arms and started to read from one of the books Hotch had brought.  
Spencer listened excitedly to every word. Spencer tried to stay awake long enough to hear the whole story, but sadly he lost the fight.

Diana didn't even get to finish half the story before Spencer fell asleep. She carefully extracted herself from underneath him, and tucked the covers around him. She kissed his forehead, and left the room silently. Then she watched the History Channel with Hotch for a while and they both went to bed as well.

* * *

The next morning Spencer didn't want to leave. Hotch hadn't anticipated a goodbye-scene quite this bad.

"No! I don't wanna go! I want to stay with Mommy."

"Spencer, we'll visit again soon," Hotch said in an attempt to calm him down.

Diana hugged her son, "He's right Sweetie. You'll visit soon. I would love to be with you, but there's no way I'm going to let Dr. Norman lock you up in here," she said, giving Dr. Norman a firm look. Dr. Norman held his hands up in front of him, "Oh, I won't," he assured her. She nodded satisfied.

Spencer pouted, but suddenly smiled when he got an idea. He turned his attention to Dr. Norman. "Can Mommy come visit me soon?"

"I suppose. Maybe I can go with her," he said. Hotch let Spencer hug his mom once more and then picked him up. "That's an excellent idea. Hear that, baby? Mommy will visit us," he said.

Spencer smiled brightly. "Thank you Dr. Norman!"

"No problem, Spencer. It has been nice to see you," he said.

"You too. And thank you for not taking any of my blood after all. I hate needles."  
Diana looked at Dr. Norman confused, and then it turned into anger.

"Blood?" she asked.

"I'll explain it to you later, Diana."

"You will," she said, still angry. Her expression turned soft again as she looked at her son. "It was so nice seeing you," she said, kissing his cheek. "And you'd better take good care of my baby," she told Hotch. He promised her he would and then they left for the airport.

As soon as they'd left, Dr. Norman told Diana, "Agent Hotchner was afraid that he might have an infection, but luckily I could rule it out, so there was no need for blood tests after all," he lied. Well, it wasn't so much a lie, as in incomplete truth. He hated to do so, but he didn't want to upset her, as he was afraid it would trigger a new episode.

Diana nodded. "I'm glad," she replied.


	22. Chapter 22

**Thanks a lot to the reviewers. Here's a new chapter.**

As soon as they'd arrived home Morgan greeted Hotch. Spencer was fast asleep in Hotch's arms, though. "Sorry I wasn't around when that bastard tried to kidnap Spencer. I hurried to get back here as fast as I could."

"I'm glad you're here now though. I need to talk to you. I'll just tuck Spencer in for his nap, I'll be right back," he told Morgan. Spencer didn't even wake up as he was put to bed. Hotch went back to his living room. "You'd better sit down," he said, gesturing to the couch.

Morgan did while looking worriedly at Hotch. "I'm not going to like this, am I?"

Hotch shook his head. "No. I took Spencer to see Dr. Norman because I was worried he was showing early signs of schizophrenia..." Hotch told Morgan about the hallucinations, and Spencer's reaction to them. "When we asked him if he knew what it was, he told us it was semen, and that it belonged to his father," Hotch told him grimly, his voice thick.

Morgan stood up quickly. "That son of a bitch! I'm gonna kill him! Do you know where he is?"

"Probably at work. There's nothing we can do. It happened when Spencer was just a little child," Hotch said, clenching his fists.

"That damned law needs to be changed! The sex offender should never be able to just walk away!"

"I know. We could try, but we probably wouldn't be successful and honestly, I think it would be too much for Spencer to go through a trial. We could ask Garcia for help. She could make his life nearly as bad as it'd be in prison. I just don't know if it's fair to ask her to put her job on the line," Hotch said.

Morgan let out a frustrated sigh and nodded. "Yeah, yeah. You're right."

"Maybe we can get to him some other way. Have Garcia check his computer for illegal images and videos."

Morgan nodded. "Yes, that's a good idea. So Spencer will need to go to therapy, right?"

"Yes, Dr. Norman has recommended a therapist nearby. I hope he'll be alright someday. You're alright now, aren't you?" Hotch said. It was the first time he'd mentioned to Morgan that he knew, even though Morgan knew he did.

"I'm as alright as I'll ever be. I want to go with him to every session, please allow me to do that. I want to help him through this. I know... what he's... going through..."

Hotch nodded. "If the therapist allows it, you're welcome to."

Morgan let out a sigh. "You have my permission to mention to the therapist that I've been through something similar to what Spencer went through."

"Alright," Hotch said. "Thank you."

"Anything for my baby bro."

Hotch thanked Morgan again and told him he'd call him as soon as he knew when Spencer would be seeing the therapist. Morgan went back to work, and Hotch went back to his book. He didn't have much time to himself anymore, and had learned to appreciate what little time he did have.

* * *

The next day Spencer was happy when Mrs. Jason told them that Mr. Smith had called in sick, and that they expected it would take about one to two weeks before he would get back, as he'd caught a bad case of pneumonia. But she made sure to tell Spencer that he didn't need to worry. Mr. Smith would soon be back to take good care of him.

Tony was excited to see Spencer again. He'd actually been looking forward to daycare today, especially now that Spencer was grounded. "Hey, you okay Spencer?" he asked, hugging him.

"Yes. We visited my mommy. We spent some time together, and it was great." Then his face turned sad. "But I missed you. I-I'm sorry that it's my fault that we can't see each other after daycare for two weeks."

"Oh, it's okay. I know you didn't mean to. Was he very angry then?" Tony asked worriedly.

"Not at first, but when he found out that I'd pretended to be in baby mode to prevent being spanked, he wasn't happy at all."

Spencer winced, remembering the spanking he'd received that day.

"Aw, man. Gibbs never falls for that either. Sorry to hear that."

"Well, he did at first. But I don't know how he found out." He shrugged.

"Hmm, still sucks though. At least you can sit today," Tony said, laughing.

"Yeah. It did really suck when I couldn't. He'd never spanked me that hard before."

"You probably scared him good that day. They still haven't caught that bast...erm guy yet," Tony corrected himself when Mrs. Jason glared.

"No," Spencer said sadly. "Tony. What if he succeeds the next time?"

"He won't. We'll all protect you. I'm not letting you out of my sight, if I can help it," Tony assured him. "Let's go play, take your mind off things for a while," he suggested.

Spencer went with him and Tony succeeded in get Spencer's mind off the unsub.

At lunch Tony was making faces at his spinach. "Eurgh, I hate this stuff! Yuck! It's _slimy_," he cried, trying to put it on Brian's plate.

Clive stopped him. "Be a man and eat your spinach, Tony," he said firmly.

"But it tastes so _bad_," Tony whined. "And Spencer's not eating his either. He's hiding it under his bread roll."

Spencer pouted. "Thanks Tony. I thought you were my friend."

"Sorry Spencer, but it's SPINACH. I'm not eating it!" he shouted at Clive.

"If you don't eat it, you won't get dessert." Clive said and then looked over at Spencer. "And the same goes for you too, Spencer."

Tony didn't heed the warning, and simply dumped another spoonful of the green goo on Brian's plate. Brian got angry and threw the spinach back and it landed on Tony's face. And before anyone knew what had happened, a food fight started. All charges at the table were fighting along. Including Spencer.

"Woohoo! Finally daycare is fun!" Tony exclaimed, tossing his bread roll at Maddy's head.

It took some hard work from the staff to make them stop and clean them up. It ended with the charges having a timeout and no one getting any dessert. They were told that they would be forced to notify their guardians and parents when they came to pick them up.

"Aw, no! You can't tell Gibbs!" Tony whined.

"Sorry, but you have only yourself to thank for it," Mrs. Jason said firmly.

"But he'll...you know...get angry," Tony finished lamely. "And it wasn't my fault at all. You suck, Mrs. J."

She just shook her head and left Tony to his thoughts while in a timeout. Tony pouted and tapped his foot impatiently on the floor.

It was Morgan who came to pick up Spencer for his first appointment with his therapist and Spencer didn't know that yet.  
"I'm agent Morgan. I'm here to pick up Spencer. Agent Hotchner called you to inform you that I would, right?"

"He did. I regret to inform you that Spencer was put in a timeout along with everyone else today for having a food fight at the lunch table. Please pass along the message to Agent Hotchner," Clive said.

Morgan had to fight hard not to laugh. "Spencer? As in my Spencer? I'd never thought he'd join in on something lik that." Morgan was proud of his baby bro, but he hid it from Clive - and of course from Spencer.

Clive looked at him sternly, detecting amusement in Morgan's eyes. "It is not a laughing matter. It's important that all the charges learn to eat their vegetables, perhaps especially Spencer. He tends to be a picky eater," he told him seriously.

Morgan straightened up. "Yeah, you're right. I'm sorry. I promise I'll inform Agent Hotchner."

Clive nodded. "You do that." Clive was a man who took his job very seriously, but he cared for all his charges.

Spencer liked Clive. He was nothing like Smith at all, so he felt very bad. Spencer looked guiltily down at the floor. "Sorry, Clive."

"It's okay, Spencer. As long as you don't do it again. Now go with Agent Morgan. I'll see you tomorrow," he said.

Spencer nodded and followed Morgan.

"My little troublemaker," Morgan joked, drawing Spencer into a one-armed hug, as soon as they'd left the daycare. Spencer smiled brightly when he could feel that Morgan was proud of him.

"Don't tell Hotch I said this, but way to go kid," Morgan said smiling. He had a feeling Hotch wouldn't approve of him encouraging that type of behavior, but really - the kid was just having some fun. Where's the harm in that?

"I promise I won't. So where are we going? To the museum?" he asked hopefully.

"Erm, no. You and I are going to see a therapist," Morgan told him confused. He thought Hotch had already informed Spencer of this.

Spencer stopped walking. "Why? I don't want to go to a stupid therapist!"

Morgan sighed. "Look, kid. I know what happened to you. It happened to me too." He swallowed and tried to stay calm and strong for Spencer.

Spencer eyes started to water. "Yeah, I remember that case. I wish I didn't. But still…I don't wanna go... I don't want to talk about it. I-I want to forget again."

"I know. And so did I. I was so focused on forgetting and hiding what had happened that I almost ended up in jail for something I didn't do. Talking helps. If you don't, this thing will slowly eat you up. I promise; I'll be there the whole time."

Spencer face wrinkled in sadness and he was fighting hard against the urge to sob like a baby. "Y-you p-promise?"

"Hey, I promise," Morgan said, pulling Spencer into a tight hug. "I've got ya. I always will."

* * *

It was a very exhausted Spencer that Morgan brought home after they'd seen the therapist.

Hotch had been waiting anxiously at home. He'd left the office early today, because he'd been so focused on Spencer. As soon as Morgan came in the door with Spencer in his arms, Hotch rushed to them and took Spencer from Morgan, holding him tightly. "How did it go?"

"Nasty. Poor kid has been through far more than we'd ever imagined," he said sadly.

Hotch instinctively tightened his arms around Spencer. "Will he be okay?"

"Yes, in due time and with lots of therapy."

Hotch carried Spencer to the couch and sat down. "Are you okay, Spencer?" he asked the exhausted young man.

"Sleepy. Why did he do that to me, Daddy? Why?"

"Because he's a bad man who didn't deserve to be a father, that's why. He can't hurt you ever again, because now you have Daddy to protect you," Hotch swore.

Spencer gave him a tired smile and his eyes started to droop.

Hotch carried him to the nursery and placed him in the crib. He put a pacifier in Spencer's mouth, and brushed the hair out of his face. "Get some sleep."

Spencer turned onto his left side and fell asleep.

Hotch had a long talk with Morgan. He was very grateful that Spencer had someone who did not only understand him, but knew exactly what he was going through.

Morgan was happy for the beer Hotch offered him. "Thanks."

Hotch sat down next to Morgan. "It's going to be hard, but we'll get him through this. We have to."

"Yes, we will and you've got the rest of the team to help you."

"Thanks. We appreciate that."

"We're family."

Hotch nodded. They really were. You couldn't do this job and not be.

"Oh, by the way. That Clive guy wanted me to tell you something... but before I tell you - please promise me not to be too hard on Spencer. He's been through enough today. And you could say he's already been punished."

Hotch sighed deeply. "Just tell me. What did he do?"

"No, promise me first."

"I won't be too hard. I'll be exactly as hard as I need to be. Tell me."

Morgan rolled his eyes and then let out a sigh. "He joined a food fight with all the others."

"A food fight? Spencer?" Hotch asked, shocked.

Morgan laughed. "Yeah, I had the same reaction. And yes, a food fight. I think he only joined it to fit in. So he for once wouldn't be an outsider."

"Yes, probably. What happened then? Did they punish all of them?"

"Yes, they got a timeout. So he's already been punished. There's no need for you to punish him Hotch."

Hotch raised an eyebrow. "He's definitely eating all of his vegetables tonight," he said.

"Okay, that's fair enough."

Hotch nodded and cracked a smile.

Morgan smiled back. "I really didn't know that the kid had it in him," he said proudly.

"No, me neither. Don't go encouraging him though," Hotch warned.

"What? Who me? How can you think I would?" he said as innocently as he could.

Hotch just raised a dark eyebrow at him. "You'd better stay in line," he warned.

"Or what?" Morgan rolled his eyes.

"Or I'll have to start putting you over my knee as well," Hotch threatened with a smirk.

"You wouldn't dare," Morgan said, not so sure of himself.

"I would," Hotch replied dryly.

Morgan wondered if he should test this theory. He decided not to do so, at least today, as he was beat. It had been hard for him too at the therapist, because he had to tell something about himself at the session that he wanted to stay hidden. But he had to open up, so Spencer could as well.

Hotch finished his own beer. "You should probably get back to work," he said with a joking smile. "Lazing about, drinking beer... It won't do."

Morgan rubbed his face. "Yes, you're right." What he would rather do was to go home, get into bed and sleep for at least a year.

"Hey, Morgan. Don't stay too late. You're tired too. The others will understand."

Morgan nodded. "I promise. Bye Hotch. See you tomorrow. And remember don't be too hard on Spencer."

"I won't. See you," Hotch said, walking Morgan to the door.

Morgan went to his car and drove off.

Hotch started cooking dinner. He knew that Spencer didn't care much for cauliflower, but he did, and it was healthy.

At dinner Spencer whined. "I don't want cauliflower."

"Yes, you do. I heard all about today. In this house we don't throw our food at people just because we don't like it. Eat up," Hotch responded.

Spencer looked shocked at him and then looked guiltily down at the floor.

"It's good for you. Eat it," Hotch repeated.

Spencer was afraid not to eat it, afraid that he would get spanked. He reluctantly ate it, but not without making a face of disgust, though.

"Well done. Bottle now?" Hotch asked, satisfied that Spencer had eaten his vegetables.

Spencer nodded happily.

Hotch warmed the milk after adding a bit of sugar. He knew he was probably spoiling Spencer at times, but he did feel a little bad for making Spencer eat cauliflower. Most people didn't like it much. It actually confused Hotch. He'd always thought it was a particularly remarkable vegetable.

When the bottle had the right temperature, he brought it and Spencer into the living room. He held Spencer in his arms like one would a baby, and offered him the bottle. Spencer accepted it happily. Hotch watched him drink the milk and as soon as he was done, he set the bottle down and tickled his stomach. Spencer laughed; he was very ticklish.

Hotch pulled up Spencer's shirt a little and kept tickling. Spencer couldn't contain his giggles at all.

Spencer enjoyed the happy times with his daddy. A little later Hotch read Spencer a story and before the story was over Spencer started to yawn.

"Bedtime," Hotch said, picking Spencer up. He carried him to the bathroom and changed his diaper. "I got you a new type of diapers. They have little ducks on them," Hotch told Spencer.

Spencer looked down and smiled when he saw the small ducks.

"I thought they were funny," Hotch admitted, as he put Spencer in a footed sleeper. He got Spencer's toothbrush and put toothpaste on it. "Open up," he said when he'd gotten Spencer to stand in front of the sink.

Spencer opened his mouth.

Hotch brushed his teeth thoroughly. "Rinse." Spencer rinsed and rubbed his eyes, looking much like a toddler.

After Hotch had put him in the crib he handed him a pacifier and Mr. Sagan. "If you have bad dreams or anything else is wrong, just call for me," he told Spencer, turning on the baby monitor. He kissed his forehead.

Spencer nodded and only few seconds later he fell asleep.


	23. Chapter 23

**Here's the next chapter. It's very sad, I think :'(**

Two weeks had gone by and Spencer had had terrible nightmares about his father the first week. Morgan kept his promise and went with him to every single session. Spencer now felt safe. He had his daddy and big bro to protect him and the rest of his 'family'. For a week now he hadn't been much in baby mode. While Smith was on sick leave Clive was his main caretaker and Spencer liked him a lot. He took good care of him and didn't make him do naughty things. He was sad, though, when Mr. Smith was back to work this morning. He prayed that Smith wouldn't do what he'd done to him before he got sick.

Smith had nearly gone mad with longing while he was sick. He could barely contain his urges when he saw Spencer again. He hugged him, and smelled his hair. "I've missed you so much," he whispered. To everyone else, it might look innocent enough, but they didn't know what was really on the man's mind.

Spencer had to hide a whimper. He was so scared.

The others were going on a field trip again, but Spencer wasn't allowed to go because of the potential stalker. Smith faked a sad expression. "I would love to have gone to the zoo with you, but keeping Spencer safe is my number one priority. Maybe we'll bake some cookies, if Spencer feels like it. Do have fun," he said to Mrs. Jason, keeping eye contact the whole time to seem more sincere.

Mrs. Jason nodded. She misinterpreted Spencer's sadness to mean that he was upset he wasn't coming with them. She hugged him goodbye. "You'll come with us another time. I promise you, Sweetie." She then left with the others.

As soon as they were out of sight, Smith turned on Spencer, all predator now. "Looks like we're all alone now, boy. You're finally going to give me what I really want," he said, grabbing Spencer's arm and dragging him in the direction of the nursery.

"No! Please! Let me go!"

Smith slapped him across the face. "Shut up!" He dragged Spencer to one of the cribs and pushed the rail all the way down. He seemed to be in a trance like state as he roughly pulled Spencer's pants down, and ripped the diaper off him. He grabbed his hair and pushed him face down onto the bed. His hands were shaking as he unbuckled his own belt and unzipped his pants, climbing on top of Spencer.

Spencer was sobbing when Mr. Smith violated him. He hated when Smith told him how much he loved his long hair while he was doing horrible things to him.

Smith pushed Spencer's face further into the mattress to muffle his screams. "Very..good..boy.." he panted. When he'd finished he got up and righted his own clothes. He left Spencer sobbing on the bed. He whistled to himself as he started to bake cookies for everyone. While they were in the oven, he yelled at Spencer to dress himself.

Spencer was forced to pretend that everything was good and dandy when the others got back, but inside he was a mess and his bottom hurt so much. He felt so dirty, like when his father had done the same things to him. No one noticed anything. They just assumed that Spencer was put out that he'd had to stay home while the others went to the zoo.

On the way home from daycare Spencer was pleading his case with Hotch to finally get the haircut he wanted.

"No, Spencer, no haircut. Now stop it. Dave is coming over for dinner, and I have a lot to do before he arrives," Hotch snapped. His temper was a bit short today, because he'd barely slept the night before. He wasn't sure why. He noticed Spencer sucking his thumb and felt bad that he'd snapped. Spencer had managed to stay out of baby-mode for a while now. He'd even begun to go to the bathroom on his own, and he really only needed the diaper at night. "Sorry, Daddy just has a lot on his mind. Don't pester me about the haircut anymore, okay?"

Spencer sniffed. But then he got an idea. He nodded. He wasn't even lying with the nod.

When they got home, Hotch placed Spencer in the kitchen with a few toys and started to clean the living room.

While Hotch was busy cleaning the living room Spencer went to the drawer and got a pair of scissors and started to cut his hair. Long strands of hair were falling to the kitchen floor.

Hotch had just finished vacuuming and was returning to the kitchen to start dinner, when he saw Spencer cutting off his hair with a pair of sharp scissors. "Spencer, give me the scissors," he asked calmly, not wanting to startle Spencer so he'd stab himself accidentally.

Spencer shook his head. "No! Not until my hair is really short."

Hotch grabbed his arm and wrenched the scissors away from him. As soon as they were on the table, he rounded on Spencer. "What do you think you're doing? You could have hurt yourself, and I already forbid you from getting a haircut," Hotch shouted. He grabbed Spencer's arm and angrily pulled out the nearest chair. "You know what happens when you put yourself in danger," Hotch said, beginning to pull Spencer's pants and diaper down.

"No! Please, Daddy! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Just then Rossi came inside. He raised his eyebrows at the sight.

"Wait in the living room while I deal with my son," Hotch instructed. Rossi held up his hands and left the kitchen. Hotch went back to his task immediately and yanked Spencer's pants and diaper to his knees. He pulled on Spencer's arm until he fell forward and landed across his lap. He raised his hand and was just about to deliver the first swat when he saw it. Blood. Smeared between Spencer's buttocks. He frowned with concern, and gently spread his buttocks, to see where it came from. There were little tears and a bodily fluid that he recognized, even though it had dried. The world suddenly felt unreal and distant and all he could hear was his own heartbeat in his head. A surge of fear and nausea hit him all at once as tears started leaking. He let out an inhuman sound that closely resembled a cross between a sob and a scream. He started trembling all over.

Spencer was sobbing while over Hotch's knees. Rossi heard the commotion and hurried to the kitchen. "Hotch! What's wrong?"

Hotch struggled to find his voice. "Spencer...Spencer, it's Spencer... He's been... oh, my God, Dave. This can't be happening!"

Rossi looked worriedly at him, and then at Spencer. He looked to where Hotch was pointing and got the shock of his life when he realized what Hotch had meant.

"We need to get him to the hospital," Hotch said as he cried bitter tears. Hotch helped Spencer off his lap and pulled his pants back up. "Spencer, who did this to you?" he asked brokenheartedly.

Spencer shook his head while sobbing. "C-can't... h-hurt M-mommy."

"Mommy? No one will hurt Mommy. You have to tell me," Hotch pleaded.

"P-promise?"

"I promise. I'll send agents to protect both of them," Hotch swore.

Rossi grabbed his phone and called to get agents to watch over Diana Reid and Garcia.

As soon as Spencer knew they were safe he said. "M-Mr. S-Smith!" He said and broke down into Hotch's arms.

"Spencer," Hotch said, grabbing his face with both hands and looking into his eyes. What he saw there nearly took his breath away. Seeing his baby hurt like this filled him with intense despair. And intense rage. "It will be okay. He will never hurt you again, I swear to you," Hotch said.

He turned to Rossi. "Please take Spencer to the hospital, Dave. I will join you shortly." His voice was strangely calm and his language even more formal than usual. He began to move stiffly from the room. Upstairs. Where he kept his weapons.

Rossi carried Spencer to the couch. "Stay here. I'll be back very soon. I just need to make sure your Daddy is okay." Spencer just stared up at the ceiling while sobbing. Rossi hurried to Hotch and saw him getting his gun. "Hotch! Please think before you act. Think of Spencer. He needs you here and not in jail, or worse - on death row"

Hotch was shaking. He looked at Dave, conflict written all over his face. He needed to protect Spencer. A part of him knew he should do it by attempting to comfort him and taking him to the hospital, but an overwhelming primitive part of his mind told him that Spencer wouldn't be safe until that bastard was dead. He let out a harsh sob. "I...I can't. Oh, God. Dave, I can't. I just can't. My baby. My sweet little baby," he cried.

Rossi hurried to get the gun out of Hotch hand and pull Hotch into an embrace. "I know, I know. We'll make sure he'll never hurt Spencer ever again. And where he's going I promise you, he'll taste some of his own medicine and so much more."

As Hotch was sobbing into Dave's shoulder, it suddenly occurred to him that Spencer was alone downstairs. Alone. When he needed his Daddy more than anyone. He ran back to the living room where he found Spencer and pulled him into his arms. "It's okay, Daddy is here. I'm so sorry baby. So sorry," he wept. "I'll keep you safe from now on."

Spencer wrapped his arms around him. "I-I'm sorry D-daddy. F-for being naughty. I-I shouldn't h-have let him do this to me," he said between sobs. Rossi hurried to call the team and Gibbs. Gibbs told him that he would send Ducky to the hospital, so he could be the one examining Spencer, as the boy knew and trusted him.

"Spencer, listen to me. You have nothing to be sorry for, and you didn't let him do anything. He abused his position in the worst possible way, and that has nothing to do with you. He'll go to prison for what he did for a very long time," Hotch said.

* * *

Morgan got furious when Rossi told him what Mr. Smith had done. He was tempted to get that son of a bitch and castrate and then kill the man slowly. But he knew he needed to be strong for Spencer. He got another FBI team to arrest that shit, so that his lawyer couldn't claim that he was arrested in a wrong way.  
Thirty minutes later he got a call saying that Mr. Smith was finally in the custody of the FBI.

But what freaked him out was what they told him. That they'd found naked pictures of Spencer and other horrible stuff in his apartment. Mr. Smith was with no doubt going to prison for a very long time.

Hotch was notified too, as he sat in the waiting room. Ducky had examined Spencer. He'd heard nurses and doctors whispering to each other; 'rape kit', 'minimal tearing', 'bruising'. Ducky finally came out and sat down next to him. Hotch just looked at him. He had no words left.

"I am sorry to inform you that you were right about your fear. There was evidence of rape. I am sorry, lad. That poor boy has been through enough and he didn't need this at all. I can tell you that I believe it was the first this has happened. But of course this is bad enough." Ducky said sadly.

Hotch put his head in his hands. At least he'd discovered this the first time it had happened. But who knew what other things might have happened before? "Will he be okay? He didn't need stitches, right? Minimal tearing, I heard them say that?" he asked.

Ducky nodded. "Yes, minimal tearing, so no stitches."

Hotch nodded. "Good. I'll never let him out of my sight again."

* * *

"Daddy! Daddy!" Spencer was crying, and he was tired of strangers touching him. He was happy that at least Ducky had been there for the worst part of his examination. But now he only wanted his daddy.

Hotch heard Spencer calling and pushed past a nurse, trying to block his way. "I'm here, Spencer," Hotch said, taking in the sight of his boy, broken on the hospital bed. This was his fault, Hotch thought. If only he'd listened. Seen the signs. He sat down next to Spencer's bed and stroked his hair, brushing the tears away from his young face as they fell.

"I-I'm sorry D-Daddy. A-are you g-going to send me a-away?" Spencer asked worriedly.

"Send you away?" Hotch asked confused. "Why would I do that?"

Spencer was still worried that Hotch wouldn't like him anymore after what he'd let Smith do to him, even after what Hotch had told him before they went to the hospital. "B-because I-I was naughty in letting h-him t-touch me."

Hotch took one of Spencer's hands in his. "I told you, none of this was your fault. It was my fault. I shouldn't have let someone like him near you. I didn't see what he was, and I should have known," Hotch said, a lone tear trickling down his face. "I should have protected you. I'm your father, I should have known," he whispered brokenly.

"N-not your fault - you asked me if he did something to me and I-I lied," Spencer told him between sobs.

Hotch sat on the bed and gathered Spencer in his arms. "You lied because he'd threatened your mommies. It was very admirable that you tried to protect them. You're a good son, but that doesn't mean that he had any right to do what he did. Daddy promises to get him, so he'll never hurt you again," Hotch said, kissing Spencer's temple.

"C-can I-I ask you something? P-please don't be angry."

"You can ask me anything, baby," Hotch said, forcing a smile for Spencer's sake.

"Can you adopt me? I want you to be my daddy for real," he said between hiccups.

Hotch was a little shocked. He'd sometimes entertained the idea shortly, but he didn't think Spencer would want it. He was already his guardian after all. It warmed his heart that Spencer still loved and trusted him. "Of course. You're already my son, the rest is just paper work. I just hope I can be a better dad from now on. I'm so sorry Spencer, I really mean that," he said.

Spencer let out a relieved sigh. "You didn't do t-that to me. I-I don't blame you... but I blame m-myself."

"It's perfectly natural for someone who's been through what you've been through to blame themselves. It might take you a while to realize that you did nothing wrong, but you'll get there. I'll get you the help that you need, and you can talk to me at all times, about anything," Hotch said, stroking Spencer's cheek gently.

"I-I don't w-want to talk about it. I-I just wanna forget."

"I know. It doesn't work like that, I'm afraid, but you don't need to think about that right now. I'll call Penelope and she'll come stay with us for a while, how about that?" Hotch said, trying to distract him. He realized that there was absolutely nothing he could say that would make this situation better, no words that could undo what had just happened to his son.

Spencer sniffed. He then brushed his hair with his hand and felt the half-cut hair. "Can I please get a haircut now?"

"We'll get you a trim, so it's not shorter on one side. But this was not your fault and your hair had nothing to do with it in a way that made it your fault. You're good just the way you are. You don't need to change anything about yourself, because I love you just as you are. Remember that," Hotch said.

Tears started to flow again. "H-he likes my long h-hair, told me over and over again how p-pretty I-I am with that l-long hair. A-almost like a girl, but better." He started to sob again.

"He only said that because he is a bad man. Do you remember when we profiled bad guys together? Sometimes the bad guys focus on a type, or a certain feature. When the bad guy went after blonde women, did you ever think the victims should have prevented it by dyeing their hair? That what happened was their own fault?" Hotch asked.

Spencer shook his head. "N-no, but..."

Spencer was too much out of it to comprehend it just yet. So he just shook his head. "I want it cut short." Spencer sniffed. "S-sore. M-my bottom hurts." And Spencer started to sob once again. "I-I wanna go h-home."

"We'll have to ask Ducky first. Maybe he can also give you something for the pain," Hotch suggested.

"Please ask him, Daddy. I wanna go home."

Hotch asked one of the nurses outside the room to fetch Ducky and went back to sit with Spencer.

Spencer wrapped his arms tightly around his daddy afraid that he was going to lose him.

Hotch responded by drawing Spencer closer to him. He was very happy that Spencer didn't shy away from physical contact, at least not when it came to his daddy.

Ducky went inside the examination room. "You asked for me?"

"Yes. Spencer wants to go home," Hotch said.

Ducky nodded. "Understandable. I will get the papers ready."

"Okay. Is there anything I need to keep an eye on? Anything I need to know at all?" Hotch asked concerned.

"Only that you need to be careful when you wipe his bottom. And you should watch out for Spencer's mental state. I would advise you not to leave him unattended as there could be a risk that he could hurt himself." Ducky said sadly, in a quiet voice.

Hotch swallowed. He'd read about...rape victims...harming themselves. But it was hard for him to think of Spencer like that. "Of course. I won't leave him alone."

Ducky nodded satisfied and went to get the papers ready.

Hotch got Spencer out of the hospital gown and into a sleeper that Rossi had brought over earlier. He picked Spencer up and went to find Ducky and his paper work.

Spencer buried his face in Hotch's neck. He felt like everyone was looking disgustedly at him. Like they knew what he'd let Smith do to him. He felt so dirty.

Hotch felt tears on his neck and figured that Spencer was probably tired. "We're going home now," he told him, after he'd said goodbye to Ducky.

Spencer was so looking forward to getting home. He wanted a bottle and both his mommies. "Can I call Mommy? Do you think Dr. Norman will let me talk to her?"

Hotch hesitated. If she was in a bad state it would only make matters worse. And even if she was okay, he didn't know if she should really know what had happened. "Maybe. I can talk to him. Until then, Mommy Penelope can play with you," Hotch offered.

"I want both my mommies," he whined.

"I'll do what I can," Hotch promised. He parked the car in front of the house, next to Penelope's car, Esther. "Mommy is here already," he told Spencer, lifting him out of the car.

Once again Spencer buried his face in Hotch neck on their way inside the house.

"Hi, Penelope. I'm happy you got here so fast. I need to talk to you, but first we need to get Spencer to bed. He's really tired, I think," Hotch told her. "Whiny," he mouthed, so Spencer wouldn't hear.

Garcia nodded, knowing how he could be when he was in his whiny state. Garcia took a closer look at Spencer and then at Hotch and got scared. "What happened? And what happened to his beautiful hair?"

"We had to go to the hospital. I'll tell you after," Hotch said, trying to keep his voice calm. Spencer needed them to keep it together.

Garcia looked shocked at him and whispered, "What happened? Please tell me."

Hotch sighed and carried Spencer inside. He set him on the floor and handed him a toy. Then he pulled Penelope off to the side. "That Smith guy...he was a creep after all," Hotch said, closing his eyes briefly.

"He did… In the worst possible way, I'm afraid. But Spencer needs you to keep it together and be there for him. He already blames himself," Hotch explained sadly.

Tears ran down Garcia's face. She nodded sadly.

"We need to stay strong for him," Hotch said, glancing at Spencer playing unenthusiastically with a toy car.

Garcia dried her face with her hand. "Yeah. I'll do my best, but it's so hard."

"I know. Believe me, I know." Hotch went to Spencer. "Naptime, baby," he told him, picking him up.

"I'm not sleepy," he whined while rubbing his eyes.

"You can sleep in my room. Mommy or I will stay with you," Hotch promised.

"Promise?"

"Yes, we're not leaving you. Not even for a minute," he promised sincerely.

"'k," he said and then yawned.

"You want Mommy or me?" he asked as he carried him to the bedroom, Garcia trailing after them.

Spencer frowned. It was hard to choose; he wanted them both. "Both of you?" he asked hopefully.

"Alright," Hotch said, smiling at him. He placed him in the middle of the bed and lay down on one side, Penelope hurrying to the other side.

Spencer snuggled close to them both. And as he knew he was safe he fell asleep.

Hotch stayed awake watching over Spencer. "Maybe you should get some sleep too?" he asked Garcia. They might need to take turns at a later time, if Spencer had nightmares.

Garcia nodded, though she wasn't sure she would be able to. She was so sad that someone hurt her baby again. She closed her eyes and didn't notice that she fell asleep a little while later.

Hotch simply watched them breathing, the sound almost hypnotic. Before he knew it, he was asleep, holding Spencer tightly against him.

**At least Spencer is safe now :(**


	24. Chapter 24

**Thanks to reviewers and people who've added this story to their alerts and/or favorites :)**

Spencer started to scream in his sleep. He dreamt about Mr. Smith violating him over and over again. "No! Please stop! I want my daddy!"

Both Hotch and Garcia woke up immediately. Hotch shook Spencer awake. "Spencer! Daddy's right here, it's just a dream," he said.

Spencer wrapped his arms around Hotch and sobbed and sobbed. "It hurts Daddy! It hurts!"

Hotch held back tears and stroked Spencer's back. "I know. But you're safe now," he said.

Garcia stroked Spencer's hair and winced when at the sad haircut he now had. She made a mental note to give Spencer a nice haircut. Tears ran down her cheeks; she hated to see her baby hurt so much. She stood up. "I'll go get a bottle ready for him."

Spencer calmed down a little. He was squirming though as he was uncomfortable. He needed to be changed.

Hotch nodded. When she'd left he noticed Spencer looking unhappy. "Need a clean diaper?" he asked him.

Spencer nodded shyly. He'd been so happy that recently he had been able to make it to the bathroom on his own, but now it seemed that he'd had a relapse.

"It's alright, baby. Nothing to be ashamed of," Hotch said carrying him to the bathroom. He changed his diaper, being extremely careful with his backside. He was still red, and Hotch felt anger boiling inside. He wished that bastard was dead. After Spencer was in a fresh diaper he took him back to the bedroom.

Spencer wrapped his arms tightly around Hotch afraid he was going to lose him.

"Mommy's bringing a bottle, how's that?" he said to Spencer, placing him on the bed and lying down next to him.

Spencer gave him a weak smile while he nodded. He definitely needed the security the bottle could give him.

Garcia entered the bedroom with the bottle. She handed it to Hotch who put it in Spencer's mouth. Garcia sat down and stroked Spencer's arm while he drank. She had dried tears on her face; obviously she'd needed a moment to cry in the kitchen. Hotch smiled at her.

She smiled back while she kept stroking Spencer's arm. He was suckling like he was in a trance.

"Maybe I should call Dr. Norman and ask him if his mother is in a good state. I think he needs her too along with us," Garcia said.

"That's a good idea," Hotch agreed, as Spencer gradually fell asleep in his arms. "I'll stay with Spencer, then."

Garcia nodded and went to the living room. She grabbed the phone and dialed Dr. Norman's number.

Dr. Norman picked up the phone. "Dr. Norman here. Who is this?"

"This is Penelope Garcia, a friend of Spencer Reid."

"Oh, hello," Dr. Norman said, a nervous edge to his voice. "Is Spencer alright?"

Garcia started to cry once again. "N-no... p-poor baby has been hurt very badly, by someone who should have taken good care of him." She said between sobs, not realizing that the way she said it could have sounded like Hotch had been the one that had hurt him.

"How so?" Dr. Norman asked, disturbed.

"He's b-been r-raped..." She now sobbed whole heartedly. "H-he hurt m-my baby so b-bad."

Dr. Norman gasped. "Agent Hotchner did that?" he asked fearfully. Maybe he'd missed something when they visited.

Garcia went pale. "No! Nononooo! He could never do that. It was a caretaker from the daycare."

Dr. Norman was relieved to hear that. It would simply have been too awful if Agent Hotchner had been like that. Still, it was a shock. "A caretaker? Oh, my God. Is there anything I can do?"

"Yes. How's Diana doing? Is she able to come here? Spencer needs all of us. He's so sad. And he's relapsing. Poor boy was so happy a just few days ago that he'd started to be able to take a little care of his own needs," she said between hiccups.

"I'm sorry to hear that. I'll bring Diana myself. She's in a good state right now, but I still don't want her to go alone," he said.

Garcia let out a relieved sigh. "That's okay; in fact I think he'll need your help too."

"I'll be there tomorrow then. I need to prepare Diana a bit. Perhaps it would be better if we don't tell her what has happened?"

"Yeah, you're right. We can't risk her relapsing too and upsetting Spencer even more. I'll get some rooms ready for you."

"Thank you. I'll call for details later," he said. They said goodbye and hung up.

Garcia went back into Hotch's bedroom and whispered to him, careful not to wake up Spencer who was sound asleep in Hotch's arms, that Dr. Norman and Diana would soon be on their way here.

Hotch nodded. "That's good." He glanced at Spencer. "Seems to be sleeping somewhat peacefully now. My voice calms him when he starts whimpering," he told her.

Garcia nodded. "Good. Then stay with him. I'll get the rooms ready for them and then make us some dinner."

"Sounds good," Hotch said, pulling the covers higher up and leaning back. Maybe he could get a little sleep too.

oOo

Gibbs wasn't looking forward to telling Tony the sad news. He was afraid how he was going to take it - the boy was finally starting to show progress and he was afraid that it may cause Tony a setback. Tony was sitting on the couch and Gibbs sat beside him. He wrapped his arm around Tony's shoulder. "Tony, I need to tell you something."

Tony immediately noticed the grave tone and stared at him wide-eyed. "Yeah?"

"It's about Spencer. You remember your suspicions about Mr. Smith?"

Tony paled. "Yeah. You all said I was wrong," he replied, frowning.

Gibbs let out a sad sigh. "Yeah, but we still listened to you, and I told Hotch who let Garcia look through his background. But she didn't find anything wrong with it. But we should have taken your fears more seriously and looked more deeply... sadly you were... right..."

Tears sprung to Tony's eyes. "Really? He did something to Spencer?" he asked brokenly.

Gibbs wrapped his arm more tightly around Tony. "Yes, he did. He hurt him badly. Mr. Smith is now in jail where he belongs."

Tony started crying. He didn't know exactly what Mr. Smith could have done, but he knew it was something very bad and wrong. "No..." He crawled onto Gibbs' lap. "Please, Dad. He's like my baby brother, please, it can't be true."

Gibbs hugged him tight. "I wish it wasn't. But sadly it is."

"I hope he dies in prison!" Tony cried. "Is Spencer going to be okay again?"

"In due time, he will be okay. We need to be there for him."

"Okay. Can we see him soon?"

"Maybe tomorrow. I'll ask Hotch."

"Okay. I feel so bad for Spencer. I should've helped him," Tony cried.

"It's not your fault, Tony. You tried to help him by telling us about Mr. Smith. If it hadn't been for the attempted kidnapping, Hotch wouldn't h..." Suddenly something hit Gibbs. Could it be that Mr. Smith had planned it all? That he'd planned the kidnapping to gain their trust and especially Tony's?

"Wouldn't have what?" Tony asked confused.

"If the attempted kidnapping and Mr. Smith saving Spencer hadn't happened, I don't think Hotch would have trusted him so easily. I wonder if he was behind the so-called kidnapping attempt. To gain our trust, and maybe especially yours."

Tony frowned. "That makes sense. Poor Spencer. Why didn't he tell us?"

"Mr. Smith threatened to hurt his mother and Penelope Garcia if he told anyone or if he refused to do what he asked of him."

"Oh. Spencer would do anything for his mom and Penelope," Tony said, staring into space. He was still crying. This was messing him up; he couldn't control his feelings at all.

Gibbs hugged him tight while rocking back and forth. "Yes, he would. Luckily Hotch found out. Spencer is finally safe."

Tony nodded, putting his thumb in his mouth.

It saddened him to see Tony so sad and it looked like he'd been right in fearing that it would affect Tony's recovery. He kept rocking Tony back and forth until the boy fell asleep.

oOo

When Spencer woke up it was close to dinner time. Hotch could smell that Garcia was cooking. He carried Spencer to the kitchen and sat in one of the chairs with Spencer on his lap. He tried to keep as much weight off Spencer's bottom as possible. "What are we having?" he asked Garcia.

"Lasagna ala Garcia," she smiled.

"Nice. You like that, don't you Spencer?" Hotch asked.

In answer, Spencer's stomach growled loudly.

"I think it's best if I feed him," he told Garcia. He wanted to keep Spencer close to him. The young man was clinging to him as well. He wondered if all of this would set back Spencer's recovery a lot. He seemed more in baby-mode than he had in a long time.

Garcia nodded and handed him a plate with lasagna for Spencer. She then put a bib on him.

Hotch fed Spencer slowly. He wasn't chewing properly. "Spencer, take your time. Remember to chew," he advised.

Spencer didn't know what was wrong with him. He couldn't remember how to chew properly.

Hotch sighed. He was worried about this, but he'd known that Spencer might slip back into baby-mode after this. He gave up on the lasagna and had Garcia fetch a bowl of yoghurt. He looked at her. "I hope he'll soon be able to eat solid food again. He needs a wider variety of nutrients," Hotch said concerned.

She nodded in agreement. "Maybe Dr. Norman knows what to do and what to give him."

When Spencer was done eating, Hotch took him to the living room. "Maybe you can watch him for a while? I'll go clean the kitchen," Hotch asked.

"Sure." She sat down on the couch and let Hotch place Spencer on her lap.

He started mouthing at her breast through her shirt and she pulled up her shirt to let him suckle. When he was done, he just stared distantly at her colorful bracelets, not talking and not reacting much to anything she said either.

Before Hotch was done cleaning the kitchen, the team showed up. Morgan looked sadly at Spencer and lightly ruffled his hair. Under normal circumstances he would have teased Spencer about his awkward haircut, but it didn't feel right now.

"Hey, Derek," Penelope greeted, not feeling up to calling him something funny today. "He couldn't chew his dinner," she said sadly.

Morgan rubbed his face with his hands. "He was doing so well. I'm going to kill that son of a bitch."

Penelope nodded. "I'll help," she said grimly.

Morgan nodded. He then joined JJ and Prentiss in the kitchen; they were helping Hotch clean up after dinner. Rossi took a seat beside Garcia. Spencer noticed him and held his arms out for him to pick him up.

Rossi pulled Spencer close to him, surprised. "Hey little guy. You miss me?" he asked smirking.

Spencer nodded and snuggled close to him. "Yes, Uncle Rossi, I did." He then put his right thumb in his mouth.

Rossi carried Spencer into the kitchen where he found Hotch. "Your boy missed his uncle," he said proudly. "Maybe he needs to be spoiled more."

"Don't spoil him too much… But he'll need all the TLC he can get for awhile," Hotch said in a sad voice.

Rossi turned serious. "Yes, I'm sure he will. I think he needs his pacifier too," he said, watching Spencer still sucking his thumb.

Hotch nodded and went to get the pacifier and pulled Spencer's thumb out of his mouth, quickly replacing it with the pacifier.

"I think he needs his uncle to help him with a bath," Hotch said.

Rossi agreed, and took Spencer to the bathroom. He'd sometimes helped his sister with her kids, so it didn't feel completely unfamiliar to undress and bathe Spencer. He made sure the water wasn't too hot or too cold before lowering Spencer into the water.

Spencer started to play happily with the rubber duck his uncle handed him.

Rossi washed him as he told him a story about the duck.

Spencer listened, and seemed very interested in the story. He liked his uncle Rossi. "Daddy is going to adopt me," he told him after Rossi had finished with the story about the duck who got adopted.

"It's very nice. He'll be your real Daddy then," Rossi said, lifting Spencer out of the tub.

Spencer nodded happily.

oOo

"I'm sorry Hotch. I should have seen all the signs in Spencer," Morgan said, frustrated.

"We all should. But he's smart and even in his current state he can hide things from us. Fortunately, we know now. I'll never let anyone hurt him again," Hotch said bitterly.

"We'll help you protect him. Agent McGee called me. Gibbs had this theory that Mr. Smith hired someone to try to kidnap Spencer, so he could 'save' him and gain our trust. Gibbs had asked McGee and Ziva to look closely into it and they found out that he was right. He'd planned this all along."

Hotch seethed. "I should have killed that bastard," he said. So Smith was also responsible for putting Spencer through the trauma of an attempted kidnapping.

"You and me both."

"I'll make sure he never gets out of prison in anyway. And I need to concentrate on making Spencer feel better. He was doing so well before all of this."

Morgan nodded sadly. "We'll help him through this. He'll come back to us."

Garcia and JJ planned to give the poor boy a much needed haircut. She went over to Hotch. "Hotch, is it okay if we give Spencer a haircut? That poor boy can't look like that much longer."

"Of course. Just be careful. He might not want to sit still for long," Hotch warned.

Garcia nodded. "We'll be very careful."

Hotch still went to supervise the haircut.

oOo

Rossi winced put a diaper on Spencer and dressed him in his night sleeper. He then carried him to the living room where Garcia and JJ were waiting for them so they could give Spencer a haircut. He happily let them brush Spencer's hair, as he knew from experience how much Spencer hated getting his hair brushed.

Garcia carefully cut off locks of light brown hair, minding the scissors. In the end, the hair was just above his ears, a little longer in the back.

JJ then took the hairdryer and dried Spencer's hair. When that was done, she handed Spencer a mirror so he could see his new haircut. "You're quite handsome, Spence."

Spencer smiled happily at Garcia and JJ. "Thank you." At least his hair wasn't so long anymore.

Hotch smiled at him. "Better?"

Spencer nodded happily.

Garcia hugged him and kissed his cheek. "That's because you have the awesomest Mommy in the world. I give the best haircuts. You know, we should consider purple highlights," she said.

Spencer looked hopefully at his daddy. "Can I Daddy?"

Hotch looked horrified. "Absolutely not!"

Spencer pouted, "But..."

"It would perfectly match the purple butterfly tattoo that I want to get soon."

Hotch's eyes widened. "No highlights and no tattoos. Mommy is a horrible influence."

Spencer wrapped his arms around himself and pouted. But then he got an idea. As soon as he was back to normal he would get the tattoo and Hotch couldn't do anything about it, since he'd be a big boy and allowed to do as he pleased.

Hotch didn't like the smile that appeared on Spencer's face. It usually meant he was up to no good. "And for the record, you will never be allowed to get a tattoo, even if you're fifty."

Spencer looked horrified at Hotch. Had he become a mind reader? "But..."

"No buts. You will be grounded for so long, so don't even think about it. I'll soon officially be your Daddy, so I'll never let you get away with any stunts like that."

Spencer kept pouting. Hotch was about to say something, but then the door bell rang and at the door was a very nervous Clive. "I'm sorry to disturb you this late. But I needed to see for myself how Spencer is doing... I'm so sorry that I didn't see the signs..."

"No one did," Hotch said, letting Clive inside.

"I can understand if you don't trust us at the daycare anymore. Especially me as a male..." Clive said sadly.

Hotch nodded. "It's hard for me to trust anyone at the moment. However, Spencer is very fond of you. I know you'd never hurt him."

"I'd never hurt him or anyone else. As I know what Spencer is... going through," Clive admitted. He looked at his feet.

Hotch looked at him inquisitively. "How so?"

"My mom, s-she was suffering from Munchhausen by Proxy and gave me drugs so the doctors thought that I was mentally disabled. I... ended up in an institution and a caretaker there... he... well you know..."

"That's awful," Hotch said appalled.

"It happened a long time ago. Luckily, later on a new caretaker started there and found out about him and what my mom was doing to me. He then helped me recover and adopted me. And that's why I started working at the daycare - I want to help people like Spencer and Tony. I feel so awful that I didn't see the signs in Spencer and Mr. Smith." He said. "I should have seen it. I just should have. I'm sorry. I hope you can forgive me." Clive was clearly uncomfortable sharing all of this, but felt that he had to.

"Nothing to forgive. Mr. Smith was very skilled at hiding what he was doing. I just hope you'll be here for Spencer now. He needs to know that he can trust males outside the family too."

"Of course I will. If you need a babysitter, call me and I'll be here. Can I see him? I just need to see for myself that he's okay. And I don't mind being supervised, I'll understand."

"Sure, he's right in the next room," Hotch said leading the way. He wanted to stay and supervise the visit. Just in case.

Spencer smiled brightly when he noticed Clive. "Clive!"

"Hey, Spencer. Good to see you. I like your new hair," Clive said smiling.

Spencer smiled proudly. "Penny and JJ gave me the haircut. Now I don't look like a girl anymore. Right?"

Clive smiled. "You never did, I think. I could always tell you were a baby boy."

Spencer smiled. He really liked Clive a lot. He was always nice to him... well except when he'd misbehaved then Clive really could scold him a lot and even spank him, but never unfairly. "You wanna play with me?" he asked hopefully.

"Sure. What do you want to play?" Clive asked cheerfully.

"With my cars?"

"Good idea," Clive said, getting out the toy cars.

Spencer started to play with Clive. As Hotch felt like Spencer was in safe hands, he gently walked out, but kept the door ajar so he could keep an eye on them just to be sure.

Garcia smiled at Hotch. "I'm glad that the world is full of good people that want to help. At least they are not all bad ones. I was losing my faith in the world for a bit there."

Hotch nodded. "Yes me too, me too. Please keep seeing the good in people."

"I'll always try, you know that," she said, smiling a little.

A childlike laughter could be heard from the other room. "My car is faster than yours Clive!"

Hotch chuckled. "Someone is having fun."

The others chuckled too. They were happy that Spencer was able to forget for awhile.

After a while, Clive noticed that Spencer was getting tired. "Sleepy, sweetheart?"

As Spencer was having fun he shook his head. He tried hard to hide a yawn.

Clive spotted Garcia through the door. "You baby is tired, Ms. Garcia," he told her.

Spencer rubbed his eyes while he shook his head, "nah ah. I'm not sleepy." Spencer said, once again trying to hide a yawn.

Garcia came into the nursery. "Yeah, bedtime indeed. Thank you, Clive. Hope to see you again soon. I'd better get Spencer ready for bed," she said, pulling Spencer off the floor.

Clive nodded. He couldn't help but to chuckle because Spencer kept insisting that he wasn't tired.  
"Not sleepy."

"Aha, I can tell when you're sleepy, Spence. Don't even bother lying," Garcia said. She waved at Clive as he left, and then helped Spencer onto the changing table. She tried to keep her eyes averted as she changed him, but then she knew she had to look. She had to see how bad it was. She tried to keep her emotions at bay as she surveyed the damage. Objectively seen, it wasn't that bad. There was some redness. A tiny tear. But this was Spencer and she almost couldn't bear the thought of someone hurting her baby. She carefully lotioned and powdered him, and diapered him for the night. She put him in a clean sleeper. "There. Ready for bed. Are you thirsty?" she asked him.

Spencer rubbed his eyes while nodding.

Garcia led him to the crib. They both climbed inside, and she propped him up against some pillows. She pulled up her shirt and opened her bra. "It's been a while since we did this before bed, eh?" she said conversationally, as she adjusted him further.

He nodded, before he latched on and started to suckle.

Penelope hummed softly as he drank from her breast. She'd missed these little moments actually. She felt bad about missing them, because Spencer not needing it was indicative of him getting better, and she wanted him to get better. He couldn't be her baby forever. It didn't take long before Spencer was sound asleep.


	25. Chapter 25

**Here's another one ;)**

Clive said good night. Hotch followed him to the door. Clive was surprised to see his dad at the door when Hotch opened it. "Dad, what are you doing here? How did you know I was here?"  
"A friend of mine from the FBI told me what happened and as I know you so well, I just knew I could find you here. I just wanted to make sure you're okay and get you home safely."

Hotch extended his hand. "SSA Aaron Hotchner."

"I'm Dr. Robertson. I wish we could have met under different circumstances," Clive's father said while shaking Hotch's hand.

"Yes, I do as well," Hotch said gravely.

"Dad. You shouldn't have come here. I'm a big boy and I don't need your protection."  
"Clive. Go to the car, I'll be there in a minute.

"But Dad."  
"Now, Clive. You're in enough trouble as it is," he said firmly.

"But why?" Clive asked confused.  
"Where you hitchhiking again, to get here?"  
Clive gulped and didn't dare look his dad in the eye.  
"Just what I thought. Car now!"  
"Yes sir," and Clive went to the car.  
"Sorry about that Agent Hotchner.

Hotch nodded. "Hitchhiking? He shouldn't do that. I've seen it go wrong many times in my line of work."

"Exactly. He'll always be my son no matter how old he is, and there are certain rules he needs to follow."

"Yes, the same goes for Spencer. Especially in the state he's in," Hotch said.

Dr. Robertson nodded sadly. "Yeah, it's very important… I'll never forget when Clive...Well I'm sorry to bother you, but after what my friend told me, I was afraid for my son's safety. I'm afraid that'll he'll get some bad flashbacks from when he was a child. I'll always worry that my son will get a relapse. Oh sorry, you of course don't know about my son's past. He was like Spencer a while back..."

"He was?" Hotch asked interestedly. "And he got better?"

"Yes. His mother was drugging him, as she was suffering from Munchausen by Proxy. He was in a bad state when I started working at the institution he was admitted to. At the time the doctors didn't know about his mother, so they thought he was mentally disabled. He was acting like a baby most of the time, even though he was ten years old. I found out about it and that another orderly was abusing him. I was fortunate enough to be allowed to adopt him. It took years of sweat and tears to help Clive to recover. Now he has a job and in his spare time he's studying to become a therapist."

"I'm happy to hear that. Sometimes I worry that Spencer will never be back to normal. Does he stay in adult mode at all times now?" Hotch asked.

"Yes, mostly. He can have small episodes when he's very stressed or has suffered something traumatic. I'm a little worried about what has happened at the daycare. I'm afraid I'll have to demand that he finds a new job. He's very fond of your son. He'd talk a lot about how happy he was that the kidnapper hadn't succeeded in kidnapping him. So I may be a little overprotective of him, but he's been doing so well and I don't want him to relapse."

"I understand that. Maybe it's a good idea. I honestly don't know what I'll do about the daycare myself. Right now Spencer needs his family. But I don't know if I'll ever feel good about leaving him in daycare ever again," Hotch said sadly.

"Understandable. When I got Clive out of the institution after the adoption, my wife was luckily able to stay home and take care of him."

"I wish I could do that for Spencer as well," Hotch said, glancing back at his boy.

"If you trust my son I think he'd be happy to come and take care of Spencer and his friend here."

"That would be a great help. I hope we can see each other again, and it's definitely good for Spencer to see Clive," Hotch said.

"Good. I'll tell my son. We probably will. I sometimes work as a consultant for the FBI and that's how I met my best friend. He's an FBI agent."

"Really? Someone I know?" Hotch asked interestedly.

"Maybe - he's from another BAU team. Agent O'Donnell."

"He is. I know him. We talk sometimes, mostly work-related," Hotch said. "He's a good man."

"Yes, he is. Well, I'd better get my son home as I have an important 'talk' with him that can't wait much longer. Nice to meet you, Agent Hotchner."

"Nice to meet you too," Hotch said, showing him out.

Dr. Robertson gave him his number. "Just call when you need a babysitter."

"I will. Thank you very much," Hotch said. He closed the door behind the man and went to the nursery, gently knocking. "Garcia? Are you in there?"

Garcia had just righted her bra and shirt. "Yes. Shh, Spencer is sleeping."

Hotch opened the door and nodded at her, quietly joining her by the bed. "Everything alright?" he asked in a soft voice.

"Yes, he is. I think it did him good to play with Clive. He had so much fun, he didn't want to go to sleep."

Hotch smiled. "That's good. I think we'll see Clive here more often from now on," he said, and then told Garcia about Clive's father and his offer to have Clive babysit.

Garcia smiled brightly. "That would be awesome. I trust him, but I don't trust the daycare to take good care of him... what about Tony? Spencer will miss him for sure."

"Tony can come over. I'll talk to Gibbs. Maybe we can arrange for a babysitter to look after them both," Hotch said. Spencer sighed in his sleep and rolled over onto his stomach. Hotch carefully rubbed his back.

"That would be great. I'm sure Gibbs would agree to it."

Hotch nodded. "I'll call him later," he said.

Garcia left the nursery together with Hotch making sure the nightlight was on as well as the baby monitor.

"Coffee?" Hotch offered.

"Yes, that would be great," Garcia said and joined her teammates in the living room.

Hotch made coffee for everyone. "Coffee seems to be a food group on its own for everyone on this team," he said as they all attacked their cups eagerly.

After a few minutes enjoying their coffee the phone rang and it was Gibbs.

"Hi. I was going to call you," Hotch said. "How is Tony handling things?"

"Sadly, not good. I'm afraid it's going to affect his recovery. He's so mad at himself that he hadn't been able to save his 'baby brother' from this."

Hotch sighed sadly. "Everybody seems to be blaming themselves, me included. I hope he gets better."

"Yeah, and the really guilty ones never blame themselves and seldom show remorse."

"That's the tragedy of it all, I suppose," Hotch said. He then explained to Gibbs about Clive's offer to help out. "I don't know if I'll ever be able to send Spencer back there, so maybe Clive is the perfect solution."

"I don't think I can send Tony back either. Do you trust Clive? I've only heard positive things about him from Tony... well except from when Tony has misbehaved at the daycare and Clive has had to punish him. But are you sure we can trust him?"

"I am. I've talked to his father. In the state that Spencer is in, I don't think he'd be able to hide it either, if he didn't feel safe with Clive. I'll have Garcia run a background check of course, just to be sure, and I'll install security cameras, but I truly believe he is a good man," Hotch said.

"Okay. It would be good idea to get her to check his background, and about the security cameras – I think they need to be there as well. If you trust him I trust him too. I'll send Tony over to your place then, to be babysat by Clive and if for some reason it can't be at your place, it can be at mine."

"Yes, sounds good. Maybe the two of you should come over tomorrow, though? It would be good for Spencer to see Tony, I think. He's in baby mode a lot at the moment."

"That was actually why I was calling; I wanted to ask if we can come tomorrow as Tony needs to see him to check for himself that Spencer is okay. And so do I."

oOo

A tired Hotch and an equally tired Garcia woke up early the next morning, to get ready before Dr. Norman and Spencer's mother arrived. They'd been taking turns comforting Spencer when he woke up from nightmares and he did so about every two hours.

"Will you make breakfast? I'll get Spencer ready," Hotch asked.

"Sure," Garcia said and went to the kitchen to make some pancakes.

Hotch carefully shook Spencer's shoulder to wake him up. "Spencer. Time to get up," he said in a soft voice, not wanting to startle him out of his sleep.

"Nah, me sleepy," Spencer said and turned his back to Hotch. Hotch turned Spencer back to face him. "That won't work. Besides, your Mommy and Dr. Norman are coming soon. You want to be awake for that, don't you?" Hotch coaxed.

Spencer looked up at him with wide eyes. "Really? Mommy is coming?"

"She is. So let's get you dressed, alright?" Hotch said, picking Spencer up.

"'k." Spencer then looked thoughtful and started to get scared. Would he have to go to the daycare today he wondered?

"What's wrong, buddy?" Hotch asked as he set Spencer down on the changing table. He looked unhappy. The poor boy had been crying enough lately.

"D-do I have to go to the daycare... today?" he asked tearfully.

"No, baby. You never have to go back there, I promise," Hotch said and kissed his forehead. "What do you want to wear today?" he asked in an attempt to cheer him up.

Spencer let out a sigh of relief. "I wanna look nice for Mommy. My best Sunday suit?" He asked hopefully.

Hotch chuckled. "It's probably not comfortable. How about a soft sleeper? We're just staying here," Hotch suggested.

Spencer thought about it for a few seconds and then nodded.

"Blue or green?" Hotch asked.

"Blue." Spencer then started to worry. If he never went back to the daycare, he might never see Clive and Tony again.

Hotch picked out a particularly soft blue sleeper, and tried to make a game out of putting Spencer's feet in it, because he seemed sad again. Spencer laughed half-heartedly but then went back to being thoughtful again.

"Does something hurt?" Hotch asked worriedly. It was understandable that Spencer would be in a bad mood, but Hotch still worried a lot.

Spencer bit his lower lip and then asked worriedly, "If I'm not going to the daycare anymore, does that mean I'll never see Tony and Clive again?"

"Of course you will. I've already invited them. Clive is going to help look after you, if you want him to," Hotch explained as he carefully brushed Spencer's hair.

Spencer smiled brightly. "He can? Yes! He's funny when he's not in lecture mode. He can be really strict but he's never punished us unfairly, though."

"I'm happy to hear that. We'll be seeing him more from now on. And I don't want you and Tony to give him a hard time, alright?" Hotch said, somewhat sternly.

Spencer looked confused at him and asked innocently, "What? Who? Us?"

Hotch merely raised one eyebrow. He then set about brushing Spencer's teeth. "Open up."

Spencer opened his mouth. Hotch brushed his teeth thoroughly, and then stepped back to survey Spencer. "All clean and nice for your Mommy now," he said satisfied.

Spencer smiled brightly.

Hotch carried him to the kitchen and sat down with Spencer on his lap. Garcia cut up a pancake into tiny bites. "Try to see if you can chew, baby-face," she told him anxiously.

Spencer took a piece with his fingers and put it into his mouth. Hotch caught the piece of pancake with his hand, when it fell out. "Try to eat very slowly," he advised. He really hoped Spencer would get the hang of this again soon. Garcia was already preparing a bottle, though. Just in case.

Spencer ate slowly as Hotch had advised him to do; when he tried to swallow he started to choke.

Hotch felt a sliver of panic, and slapped Spencer's back gently. "Spit it back out!" he ordered, his heart racing, when Spencer wasn't breathing properly. Spencer started to panic, as he had difficulty breathing.

Garcia was in a panic too; she hurried to get the phone, so it was near her if she had to dial 911.

Hotch slapped Spencer's back harder, and the pancake came back out. He was crying loudly. It must've really scared him. Hotch bounced him gently on his lap. "It's okay now," he said.

Spencer wrapped his arms around Hotch's neck and sobbed.

Hotch decided to ask Dr. Norman about this when he arrived, and concentrated on calming Spencer down. "Let's try liquids, alright?"

Spencer nodded. He'd calmed down and he was now just hiccupping.

"Bottle?"

Spencer rested his head on Hotch's shoulder while he nodded.

Garcia brought over the bottle and Hotch started feeding Spencer. "We need to find something soft that we can feed him," he told her.

She nodded sadly. "Maybe some mashed potatoes for dinner tonight?"

"Yeah. He needs to eat. He can't exactly afford to lose any weight," Hotch commented.

"Yes, you're so right about that."

As soon as Hotch had finished feeding Spencer, he offered to clean up after breakfast. "They'll be here in an hour, roughly. Maybe you could entertain Spencer in the meantime?" he suggested.

Garcia smiled and took Spencer's hand. "Come let's make a puzzle."

Hotch waved at Spencer as Garcia led him out of the kitchen.

Spencer enjoyed working on the puzzle of Einstein with Garcia.

"I think this is a piece of his beard," she said thoughtfully, trying to fit it together with a nostril.

Spencer laughed. "You got it all wrong, Penny!"

He then showed her the right one to put it with, though his movements were a little uncoordinated.

She smiled proudly at him. "That's my baby genius right there."

About an hour later the doorbell rang. "Mommy!" Spencer yelled and stood up in a hurry and was about to run to the door to open it.

Garcia stumbled after him, grabbing him when he almost fell. "Easy there," she said as Hotch walked past them and opened the door.

"Good morning, Hotch. How is my baby?" Diana asked.

"Excited to see you," he replied.

Diana smiled. "And I can't wait to see him too," she said while looking over his shoulder.

Garcia helped Spencer forward. "Say hi, Spencer," she said as they reached the door.

Spencer gave his mommy a big hug. "Good morning Mommy!"

Surprised, she hugged him back. "How have you been?"

Spencer didn't want his mother to get upset so he lied to her. "Okay, Mommy."

"That's nice, baby. Why don't you show me your room?"

Before he left with his mother to his room he looked over at Dr. Norman. "Good morning, Dr. N."

"Morning, Spencer. Good to see you again. Nice hair, by the way," he said, eyes twinkling.

Spencer smiled brightly while trying to hide his sadness at what had happened to him at the daycare. "Penny and JJ cut it for me."

Diana touched his hair. "You're such a handsome young man, you know," she told him fondly.

"Let's go to my room, Mommy."

"Yes, excellent idea."

Spencer first showed her his playroom. "This is my playroom."

"Oh, dear. You have a lot of toys. When you were a little boy, you only wanted books..." she said.

"I still read, but I also play now. It's fun."

"That's good, baby. What's your favorite toy?" Diana asked. She wanted to know as much about her son's life as possible.

"Legos. I love to build towers and bridges."

"Yes, you always were a fan of architecture. What do you like to read now?"

"All I can about all kinds of different animals and architecture."

"You always were a smart boy," she said proudly. "You get that from me."

Spencer smiled. "My friend Tony is coming over later today. So now you can finally meet him," he said happily.

"I'll be looking forward to that. Where do you sleep?"

Spencer then showed her his bedroom. He still wouldn't admit that it was actually a nursery with a changing table and everything a nursery needed.

Diana looked around surprised. Of course, she'd sort of known that he would need these things, she'd just never really considered what it really looked like. She went over to the changing table and looked at the diapering stuff on the shelves underneath. She then looked at large crib with the soft blue linens and the mobile hanging from the ceiling. "It's a very nice room," she said, smiling at him reassuringly.

oOo

"So how is Spencer really doing?" Dr. Norman asked worriedly.

Hotch shook his head. "Nightmares, naturally. Back in baby-mode most of the time. What really concerns me though is that he can't seem to chew and swallow food anymore," he told him anxiously.

Dr. Norman nodded sadly. "I see. I'll show you some exercise you can do with him and we can go shopping for some nutrients he'll need while he can't eat properly."

"Alright. We need to keep his weight stable."

"Yes, that is really important - he doesn't weigh enough as it is."

"No, I know. That's probably genetic though, but it makes him more vulnerable too. Is Diana still well?"

"Yes, fortunately she is."

"Spencer really needs the distraction she can provide at the moment. Will you perhaps talk to Spencer later?" Hotch asked.

"Of course. But then you'll need to distract Diana."

"Yes, I'll come up with something," Hotch promised.

"Good. Can I have a glass of water, please? It's been a long journey."

"Oh, of course! I'm sorry," Hotch said getting Dr. Norman a glass of water."How long are you staying?"

"Two weeks, if it's okay with you, and if Diana stays stable for that long."

"That's fine. I have two extra rooms, and Garcia can share with Spencer," Hotch replied.

Dr. Norman happily accepted the glass of water.

Diana came back into the room with Spencer and an assortment of colorful toys.

Spencer sat down on the floor and played happily with his mother. Garcia joined them, providing sound effects. Hotch laughed at the scene.

An hour later or so Spencer started to get restless.

Diana frowned at him. "Something wrong, sweetheart?"

"I'm wet," Spencer said while blushing.

"Oh, okay. Well, I can change you. I know where the changing table is now," she said, winking at him and holding out her hand. Spencer took her hand.

Diana led him to the nursery and helped him onto the changing table. She undressed him and took off his diaper, and then started rummaging around the shelves until she found the wet wipes. "Do you know if you have baby powder?" she asked him, eyeing the shelves again.

Spencer shook his head. "I never really notice when they get things."

"Okay. I think there's some in here. You always did have sensitive skin. Don't want you getting a rash," Diana said, successfully extracting a bottle of baby powder. She wiped him and shook the powder over him, but frowned when he wouldn't let her lift his leg to powder his backside.

"I'm okay there Mommy. Can we go back playing? Please."

Diana's frown deepened. Maybe he was just shy. He lifted his backside so she could put the diaper under him and she thought no more of it, as she fastened the sides. "Almost done," she promised.

Spencer was happy when he was finally re-diapered and dressed.

"Don't you think it's naptime?" she asked him as he looked tired.

Spencer shook his head. "No, I wanna play some more."

"But I know that look on your face. You'll get cranky soon if you don't get some sleep," she said. She knew from bitter experience just how cranky he could get.

"No, I won't," he whined.

"Yes, you will. Naptime, definitely. Is there anything you need before bed?"

Spencer stomped his foot. "No nap!"

"Spencer!" Diana said sternly. "You will do as you're told."

"No!" he yelled while stomping his foot once again.

Diana crossed her arms over her chest. "Spencer Reid! Do I have to get Daddy in here?"

"But I don't want a nap!"

Diana took his hand and slapped it lightly. "You don't yell at Mommy," she told him.

Spencer sniffed. "I'm sorry, Mommy. But I still don't want a nap," he whined.

"It'll be nice. I'll stay here with you if you want. I'm a little tired myself after the long trip," she said smiling.

Spencer reluctantly agreed, because he really liked the idea of snuggling close to his Mommy right now.

Diana helped Spencer into the crib and lay down next to him. "Come here," she said, opening her arms.

Spencer snuggled close. He put his thumb into his mouth and closed his eyes and in matter of seconds he was sound asleep.

Diana listened to her son breathing for a few minutes and then drifted off to sleep herself.

They didn't notice Hotch and Garcia checking in on them and taking a picture of mother and son for Spencer's family album.

"Aww, that's so cute!" Garcia gushed.

Hotch smiled fondly. "Yes, it is. Well, we'd better let them sleep."

Garcia nodded and closed the door as quietly as possible, before giggling and going in search of her computer. "The girls are gonna love this!"

Hotch told Dr. Norman about his idea to hire Clive as a babysitter and about his background. "Am I wrong in trusting him to take care of Spencer? His father told me that he sometimes gets mild episodes when he's stressed or has experienced a trauma. Will he be able to handle the responsibility of taking care of Tony and Spencer here, while in his free time he studies to become a therapist?"

Dr. Norman hesitated. "I don't know, honestly. I've never met Clive, I can't really say."

"What if I invite him over so you can meet him? Will you be able to observe him with Spencer and Tony?"

"Sounds like a plan. We don't want to leave Spencer in the hands of someone incapable, or the other young man for that matter," Dr. Norman said.

Hotch nodded. "No, we surely don't. Good, I'll invite him and his father over for dinner tonight as Gibbs and Tony are coming too."

"I'll be looking forward to it," Dr. Norman said genuinely.

Hotch called Dr. Robertson and he accepted his invitation. Hotch then called Gibbs to let him in on the plan. Gibbs thought it was a great idea too.

"I'll go give Tony a bath. I'm sure he'll be thrilled about that," Gibbs said.

"And so will Spencer."

Gibbs laughed. "Well, see you later then," he said and hung up.

In the evening Spencer was happy when Tony finally arrived.

"Spencer! Woah, like the hair, kid," Tony exclaimed when he saw him.

Spencer beamed. "You really like it?"

"Yeah, looks great. You should dye it green though," Tony said thoughtfully, looking at Spencer's head.

Spencer looked hopefully at his daddy.

"Green? No. Not for as long as I live," he promised.

Spencer pouted. "You're no fun."  
Dr. Norman and Gibbs chuckled.

"Dads are not supposed to be fun. They're supposed to look out for you," Hotch said seriously.

Spencer rolled his eyes. Hotch patted his bottom. "Be good now, or you'll get a timeout."

Spencer turned his attention to Tony. "Let's get to my room. Parents can be so annoying, right Tony?"

"Tell me about it! Gibbs has been nagging me all day," he sighed.

Once inside the playroom, Spencer closed the door.

Tony's eyes sparkled. "Finally! Gibbs has been SO boring. Is there something really cool we can do? They won't catch us, they're busy talking to each other," Tony said smirking.

"Actually I've sneaked marshmallows in here. We could play the marshmallow game."

"Okay, how do you do that?" Tony asked.

"We see which one of us who can get fit the most marshmallows in our mouth."

"Cool! I'll definitely win then," Tony said, self-assured.

"No, I will," Spencer said and went to get the candy.

Tony grabbed a handful from the bag and started stuffing them into his mouth.

oOo

"It's it too quiet Hotch? Maybe you should check up on the boys."

"Yeah. It's usually a bad sign when it's too quiet," Hotch agreed getting up from the couch.

Garcia wondered what the boys were up to now. They all went to the playroom to check on them.

Spencer was about the put the sixth marshmallow into his mouth when the door opened.

Hotch took in the scene and ran across the room, starting to pull out the marshmallows. "Spencer! That is really dangerous!" he yelled.

Gibbs did the same with Tony. He gave him a light slap on the back of the head when all the marshmallows were out of Tony's mouth.

"Ow, Gibbs! We were just playing, so chill," Tony said, rubbing his head.

"It's a very dangerous game. If you ever do it again it will be your bare backside that'll feel the consequences."

"Tony is right, Daddy. We were just playing," Spencer said.

"You know you can't even chew! You could've choked to death! You're getting a timeout. Don't you ever try that again!" Hotch yelled, shaking Spencer's arm.

Spencer started to cry. "I'm sorry, Daddy. I didn't think about that."

Hotch calmed himself. "I know. But you're still getting five minutes. You tried to hide it from me, so you must've known I'd be angry," Hotch said.

Spencer looked with puppy dog eyes at him. "Please not now, Daddy."

"Right now," Hotch said, picking him up and carrying him to a small stool in the corner of the room. "Sit here and be quiet for five minutes."

Spencer sat on the naughty chair crying.

Tony looked at him and started crying too. He didn't like it when Spencer was sad. "I'm sorry! We didn't mean to," he said to Gibbs.

Gibbs placed a chair beside Spencer. "You can have five minutes along with your friend," he told Tony.

"No!" Tony cried, stomping his foot. He tried to run from the room.

Gibbs was faster and caught him. "Do you want a spanking in front of all these guests?" Gibbs warned him in his ear.

Tony shook his head. "I don't want a timeout either," he sobbed.

"It's either a timeout, a spanking or we're going home now."

Tony looked at him pleadingly. When he didn't seem to change his mind, Tony mumbled, "timeout, then."

Gibbs nodded satisfied.

Tony sat down next to Spencer, pouting. "This sucks."

Spencer nodded while sniffing. Tony started kicking the wall rhythmically. He was already bored.

Garcia went to the kitchen to get the dinner ready and Diana went to help her.

"I hope Spencer is normally behaving himself," Diana said. "He was never quite as willful when he was a child."

"He's a sweet kid. He's having days where he's having dangerous ideas and tantrums like he just did. But all in all, he's an angel."

"He always was. A very gentle boy at heart."

In the living room Dr. Norman couldn't help but chuckle. Spencer was definitely a trouble magnet.

Hotch shook his head. "He's always like this. Can't look away for one minute, I swear."

"Well, then it's good he has you to keep him safe."

"Yes. I don't mind. He's my son now; well he will be as soon as the adoption goes through."

"Adoption?"

"I've decided to adopt Spencer, and he has agreed to it," Hotch said, a smile on his face.

Dr. Norman smiled. "That's good. I'm happy for both of you. I just hope you let Diana be allowed to still be a part of his life."

"Oh, of course. I'm not trying to steal Spencer from his mother. I am, however, most willing to keep him far away from his father," Hotch said grimly.

Dr. Norman let out a relieved sigh. "Yes. He needs to be far away from him. He's been through enough."

"Definitely. There's no reason for Spencer to see that man anymore."

Five minutes later Spencer asked loudly. "Can we get out of our naughty chairs now?... Please?"

Hotch looked at his watch. "Yes, come out," he called back.

Spencer went with Tony to the living room. "Sorry, Daddy," he said while he looked down to the floor.

"It's okay now; I just never want you to do it again. It was very dangerous. Come here," he said, opening his arms. Spencer hurried to get into his daddy's embrace.

Tony shuffled his feet. He was still put out that he'd had to sit in that stupid corner.

Gibbs gave him a warning look, silently telling him to behave.

Spencer got out of Hotch's embrace and went back to Tony. "Tony, I want you to meet my mommy."

"Cool," Tony said, following Spencer and ignoring Gibbs.

Gibbs let out a sigh. "Kids," he mumbled. Hotch agreed exasperatedly.

In the kitchen Spencer said excitedly. "Mommy! Mommy! I want you to meet my friend Tony."

Diana turned around and smiled at both young men. "Hello, Tony," she said extending her hand.

Tony shook her hand. "Hi, Mrs. Reid," he said politely.

"It's nice to finally meet you Tony. My boy has told me a lot about you. I'm happy he has you as his friend."

Tony blushed with pride. "Really? Spencer is kinda like the little brother I never had."

"Yes. I'm happy he has a 'big' brother to look out for him."

"Yeah, he needs it too," Tony smirked.

Diana chuckled. "Yes, he sure does."

Tony ruffled Spencer's hair affectionately. "Someone has to keep an eye on the baby," he teased.

Spencer pouted. "I'm not a baby."

"Yes, you are," Tony insisted.

Spencer looked hopefully at his mom. "Tell him Mommy. That I'm not a baby."

"You'll always be my baby," she said, a sappy look on her face. Tony laughed.

Spencer pouted once again. Garcia gave him a hug. "And to me too." She then gently patted his butt. "Go to the living room and play a little. Dinner will be ready soon."

He went back to the living room with Tony.  
"We'd better mash the potatoes. Spencer has some trouble chewing his food," Garcia told Diana.

"He does?" she asked, concerned.

"Yes, afraid so. He's had a relapse... for some reason. But I'm sure he'll come back to us."

Diana blinked. "Yes, I hope so too. He had no problems chewing when he visited me," she said, and started dicing an onion.

"Well, he has his good days and bad days and now it's sadly a bad day," Garcia said while making sure not to mention anything about Spencer been assaulted.

Diana nodded in understanding. "I hope he gets back to normal soon. Not that I don't enjoy seeing him happy and cared for and reminiscing about his childhood, but I also miss my adult son," she confided.

Garcia nodded sadly. "Yeah, I miss him too."


	26. Chapter 26

The door bell rang and it was Dr. Robertson and his son Clive.

Hotch opened and welcomed them. "Garcia is cooking up a feast as we speak," he told them.

"That sounds great and it smells good too," Dr. Robertson said. 

"Good evening, Agent Hotchner. How is Spencer doing? I hope he's okay," Clive said.

"He is playing with Tony, and he's well enough to get into trouble, at least. But I am worried that he seems to have lost his ability to chew," Hotch told him.

"I've learned an exercise I can help him with. If it's okay with you, that is."

"It is. I just want him to get better soon. He must be getting hungry."

"I'll do my best to help him."  
"I am sure he'll get better. Clive had the same problem and he can eat just about everything now. Even vegetables," Dr. Robertson said with twinkling eyes.

Hotch chuckled. "Yes, vegetables can be incredibly hard to chew."

"Yes, and he wasn't happy about it when he found out could eat them again."

"Dad!" Clive said embarrassed. He didn't like the attention he was getting at the moment. 

Close by, Dr. Norman was observing them.

Tony came out to see what the commotion was all about. "Clive!" he exclaimed happily. He'd sort of missed him.

"Hi, Tony. So what are you and Spencer up to?"

"Nothin'. You know, playing and stuff," Tony replied evasively.

Clive raised his eyebrows. "Right... Why do I have a hard time believing that?" he said with a smile.

"Honest!" Tony exclaimed, sending Gibbs a nervous look. He didn't think Clive would approve of the game either.

"Anthony." Gibbs warned. "You know what I think about lying."

"I'm not lying!" Tony cried. He wasn't. Sort of.

Gibbs gave him the last warning look that meant 'stop or we're going home'.

"Alright! But it was just a game, Clive!" Tony defended.

"What kind of game?" Clive asked, worried about the answer.

"The marshmallow game..." Tony trailed off.

"You did what! That is dangerous! Some children have died playing that game. You'd better not do that ever again!"

"We won't..." Tony whined.

"You'd better not."

"Dad put me in the corner," Tony complained, glaring at Gibbs.

"Well, then you can be happy that I wasn't the one taking care of you when you got caught. You wouldn't be sitting comfortably by now, that's for sure."

Tony pouted. "I'm glad you came here later then."

Clive chuckled along with the others in the room, aside from Tony and Spencer.

"It was all Spencer's idea anyway," Tony burst out. Spencer just rolled his eyes. 

"Dinner is ready!" Garcia said.

Tony raced to the table. All this talk of marshmallows was making him hungry.

Clive took a seat beside Tony and Dr. Norman made sure to sit in front of Clive. Spencer looked at Hotch, silently asking him where he wanted him to sit. He hoped that he could sit next to Tony.

Hotch took the seat beside Tony and urged Spencer to sit on his lap.

Spencer happily did. He knew he was too old to sit on his dad's lap, but he needed the sense of security it brought.

Garcia came with mashed potatoes for Spencer. "Try feeding him this," she told Hotch. He picked up the spoon and brought a small amount of the mashed potatoes to Spencer's mouth. Spencer could eat it without any problems it seemed, and Hotch was relieved that he could. Hopefully he'd be able to chew again soon. Garcia and milk bottles weren't enough for someone Spencer's age.

Spencer closed his mouth tightly, though, when Hotch was about to spoon feed him with mashed peas.

"Spencer, open your mouth. You need to eat this," Hotch told him sternly. Spencer shook his head, keeping his mouth shut.

"If you want to stay at the table, you will eat your peas. Otherwise Mommy will take you to the nursery and give you your milk there," he threatened. Spencer pouted and then reluctantly opened his mouth.

Hotch fed him his greens, ignoring the disgusted look on his son's face. "Good, well done, Spencer."

Spencer was happy when there was finally no more green ugly goo.

"Ice cream for dessert," Hotch told him smiling. He'd bought that because he figured Spencer could actually eat it. Spencer smiled brightly.

"You can go play with Tony while we clear the table. No dangerous games!" Hotch warned as he put Spencer down on the floor.

"Okay. I promise." Spencer left with Tony to his playroom. Clive was happily talking to Dr. Norman. He was glad that Dr. Norman was able to give him some good advice on his studies. Even though his own dad was a psychiatrist too, it was nice to discuss it with someone who wasn't family.

Diana smiled at Dr. Norman and Clive. They were very dedicated men. She sat down next to Garcia and Hotch. "This little get-together was a nice idea," she commented.

Both Garcia and Hotch smiled. "Yes. We wanted to get to know Clive better as we're thinking of hiring him to be Spencer and Tony's babysitter," Garcia said.

"Oh, that's a splendid idea. Spencer can't very well be alone right now," Diana said.

"No, unfortunately, he can't. And in this line of work we sometimes have to work in other cities and won't be home for days. Mostly, I'm not with the others - I'm just in my office with my computers, but I can't risk having Spencer there for too long, because he might see something he isn't ready for yet," Garcia said.

Diana's eyes widened. She knew from Spencer's letters what kind of cases the BAU worked on. "Yes, that really wouldn't do," she agreed.

"No, it wouldn't." 

"I'm so happy you want to help me with my project, Dr. Norman." Clive said.

"Always happy to help a colleague," he replied smiling.

"I'm not a colleague yet. I have a year or two more to go before I am. I work and study at the same time," Clive said sadly.

"I know, but that's fine. Besides, in this line of work you never really stop studying and learning new things. That's what's so exciting about it."

Clive smiled brightly. "I love studying. Since I wasn't able to when my mother drugged me, I had to catch up on a lot after my adopted father helped me getting back to my old self. And now I just can't get enough of it."

"That's the spirit," Dr. Norman chuckled.

"Actually my son doesn't have to work to get his degree, I offered to pay for everything, but he wants to work. He wants to help people who've has suffered traumatic experiences," Clive's father said proudly.

"That's very admirable, and it will provide him will invaluable experience as well," Dr. Norman said. Clive gave his dad a look that said 'I told you so'.

Dr. Robertson nodded. "You did."

Clive smiled proudly. Now he hoped he could convince his dad to let him continue to work at the daycare. As of yet Clive didn't know that he may get a job in Agent Hotchner's house as a babysitter.

Hotch decided to ask Clive if he was interested in working for him. He told him about the position and what it entailed. "So it'll just be Spencer and Tony here."

Clive looked with bright green eyes at him. "Really? That would be awesome!"

"Well, Gibbs and I can't be here all the time, so if you're interested..."

"I am," Clive smiled brightly. "Thank you. I promise you won't regret it."

Hotch nodded. "I'll give you a call. It'll be a little while. I think I should stay with Spencer for the time being," he said.

"Yes, you're right. I was happy when my adopted mom and dad were there for me at the beginning." His face contorted slightly when he thought of his adoptive mother. She'd passed away. He hurried to hide his sadness. He felt guilty that he wished that it had been his biological mother that had died instead.

Hotch merely nodded, not wanting to talk more about this in front of Diana.

Tony came to inform them that Spencer needed a change. "Is it okay if I do it?" Clive asked.

Hotch momentarily felt panic at the idea of letting someone from the daycare do that. "Sure," he said, and casually got up and followed Clive to the nursery. He couldn't trust him fully yet, no matter how much he wanted to.

"Hey Spencer. Let's get you more comfortable. Or would you rather have your dad change you?"  
Spencer stood up and took Clive's hand. "I want you to change me."

Clive put him on the changing table in a practiced move. He changed him while chatting to him about ice cream flavors.

"I love mocca ice cream," Spencer said dreamily.

"I'll bet you do," Clive chuckled.

"Yeah that and coffee, but daddy doesn't allow me to drink coffee," Spencer said sadly while looking at his dad accusingly.

"It's not good for you. Or my mental health. You'd be awake all night," Hotch responded.

Spencer pouted. Hotch had always the last word.

Clive put Spencer's sleeper back in place. "Ready to go," he announced.

"Yes. Ice cream!" he said happily. After all the talk about ice cream his mouth was watering and he could hardly wait for the dessert.

They all went back to the dining table and Hotch proceeded to feed Spencer his ice cream. "Taste good?"

Spencer was in heaven. "Umm...yes."

Diana laughed. "You always did have a sweet tooth."

Spencer just kept enjoying the ice cream Hotch was feeding him.  
Gibbs kept an eye on Tony; he was also enjoying the ice cream, but he was feeding himself. Luckily he didn't make as much of a mess as he usually did.

"Dad, why don't we buy ice cream more often? It's much better than all those nasty vegetables you keep buying," Tony inquired.

"That's because vegetables are healthier and you only get hyper with too much sugar."

Tony pouted. "But it tastes better. You're always so boring."

"Well, that's the curse of fatherhood I guess," Gibbs said chuckling. Other fathers at the table nodded in agreement.

Tony finished his ice cream, not paying them any mind.

Spencer tried to hide a yawn. He rubbed his eyes tiredly.

"Time for bed, I think," Hotch said.

Spencer was too tired to argue. "Want Clive to tuck me in."

"Alright, Mommy can go with you two", Hotch said.

"Okay." He stood up and took both his mom's and Clive's hand.

They led Spencer to the bedroom. Diana changed his diaper while Clive found a teddy and a pacifier for him.

Spencer continued rubbing eyes and sucking on his hand while his mother changed him.

He once again wouldn't let her wipe his behind, but she still thought it was shyness. She dressed him in a clean sleeper and helped him off the table. "Someone's tired, I'd say," she commented, as he nearly lost his balance. Clive hurried to help Diana get Spencer into his crib.

She tucked him in gently and kissed his forehead. Clive handed her the pacifier and she stuck it in his mouth. Clive put the teddy in Spencer's arms and kissed him goodnight too.

Spencer's eyes started to droop. "N'ght M'my. N'ght Cl've."

"Goodnight baby. See you tomorrow morning." They both left after Clive had switched on the baby monitor and the nightlight.

Tony was leaning on his dad's shoulder half asleep. "We'd better get going. Tony needs his bed."

"No..!" Tony mumbled, trying to sit up. "Not even...tired," he slurred. Gibbs just guided him up and helped him put his jacket on.

Tony barely made it to the car on his own. He put his thumb in his mouth and went straight to sleep.

Back at home, Gibbs changed Tony diaper and dressed him in his sleeper. He made a mental note to remember to brush Tony's teeth tomorrow morning.

Tony barely woke up during it all, and sighed when he was placed in his soft and warm bed. He went back to sleep within seconds.

Before Gibbs had gone home, he'd told Hotch that he okay'd Clive as Tony's babysitter too and that he'd cover the other half of Clive's payment.

oOo

"Was I right in trusting and asking him to become Tony and Spencer's babysitter?" Hotch asked Dr. Norman after Clive and his dad had left.

"Yes, I do believe so. Of course, there are no guaranties in this world, but I've never met anyone less likely to be a sexual predator. That's my professional opinion," Dr. Norman said.

Hotch nodded satisfied.  
"And I'll put up security cameras and make sure we can watch what's going on here whenever we want to from our computers at work," Garcia said.

"Yes, you do that. Even if nothing sinister happens, it'll still be nice for you to be able to see Spencer when you're away," Dr. Norman said.

"Yes, it will and we'll have proof of the boys' mischief when they deny it," Hotch said.

Dr. Norman chuckled. "There is that too," he agreed.

They talked for hours and then they said their good nights. Hotch was exhausted. He helped Garcia put the mattress in Spencer's room before going to bed himself.

In the morning Dr. Norman offered to help Spencer getting out of his crib and to change him.

Garcia went to get a bottle ready for him.

In the bathroom Spencer was a little shy at the thought of Dr. Norman changing him. He put his thumb into his mouth for comfort.

"Don't worry Spencer. I have two children of my own, I've done this many times before," Dr. Norman assured him, as he lifted his bottom to remove the wet diaper.

Spencer sucked his thumb while wincing. His bottom hurt. It had hurt a little all night, but Garcia had been sleeping so nicely and he hadn't wanted to wake her up.

Dr. Norman put a little ointment on Spencer's bottom. "Does it sting badly?" he asked worriedly. Spencer nodded, in tears.

Dr. Norman's heart went out to the boy. "I'll give you something for the pain in the kitchen," he promised and went to re-diaper him and dress him. Before carrying Spencer to the kitchen, he held him in his arms and rocked him a little. "It'll be okay, Spencer."

Garcia came into the kitchen, "What's wrong with Spencer?" She asked worriedly.

"A bit sore," Dr. Norman said under his breath. Diana was on her way to the kitchen.

Garcia hugged Spencer who was still sitting on Dr. Norman's lap. "Ahh sweetie." She then hurried to get the bottle and handed it to Dr. Norman for him to feed Spencer.

"Here, Spencer. Drink up," Dr. Norman told him.

Spencer accepted the bottle and started to suckle. The pain killer Dr. Norman had given him was starting to help.

Diana went to stroke Spencer's hair. She remembered feeding him when he was a baby. He'd look just like that, and sometimes fall asleep at her chest. Spencer smiled brightly when he noticed her. "You're so precious, baby," she told him fondly.

After they had breakfast and Diana went to sit at the couch to read, Dr. Norman told Hotch about Spencer being sore and that it looked like Spencer had gotten an infection. He recommended that he'd be given antibiotics.

Hotch nodded worriedly. "Yes, let's give him that."

"So while the area is still infected, it will be best if you wash him in the shower. You should do that until the wound is healed."

Hotch nodded sadly. His poor baby.

Neither Spencer nor Diana heard what they were talking about. Spencer snuggled up to his mom while she read to him. Diana was reading an illustrated fairy tale to her son. Spencer put his hand on the book. "What's that?" he asked. His hand covered most of the picture on the page. "Mr. Frog," she replied. Spencer laughed. "He looks funny."

"Yes, he does. Frogs don't normally wear tuxedos," Diana explained, turning the page.

"Do you think we could go to the Zoo today?" Spencer asked hopefully.

"Yes, that's a great idea. Maybe they have frogs too," Diana said.

Spencer smiled brightly. "That would be awesome." And then he rambled about all kinds of different frogs that existed.

Diana held him close, stroking his hair as he rambled. She was used to this, and she liked listening to him. Her baby was so smart.


	27. Chapter 27

At the Zoo he was holding Dr. Norman's hand and his mom's hand. Hotch and Garcia walked behind them with Spencer's wheelchair, for when the boy would get tired.

"What do you want to see first?" Dr. Norman asked, holding a map of the zoo in his other hand.

"Frogs!" he said happily.

"Alright...amphibians...there!" Dr. Norman led the way to the little cave-like building containing the frogs. Spencer studied them in awe. He loved all the different colored frogs.

"Look at the red one!" Diana said, becoming fascinated herself. She read the information sign.

"Yeah, it's really beautiful... but very venomous."

"It is. The color is to warn other animals," Diana explained.

After about an hour Spencer walked differently, unsteadily. Hotch put him in the wheelchair. "Don't want you to fall down."

Spencer pouted, especially when Hotch kept him from getting out of the wheelchair.

"We can go get an ice cream," Hotch suggested.

"Yay! Ice cream!" Spencer yelled happily.

They bought ice cream cones for everyone. Hotch let Spencer eat the ice cream, but took the cone away from him. "You can't chew this," he told Spencer.

"Why not?" he asked confused.

"You know you've had trouble with that these past couple of days. It's better to stick to softer things," Hotch explained.

"Okay," he said, disappointed.

Hotch bought Spencer a frog plushy. "Here you go, Spencer. A little souvenir."

Spencer hugged it close to his chest. "Thank you, Daddy."

Hotch patted his head. "You're welcome."

Spencer yawned and rubbed his eyes.

"Enough excitement for today," Hotch announced and they all went to the car. Spencer fell asleep leaning against Diana.

Hotch drove them home and carried Spencer to bed. Garcia stayed with him. "Maybe you should change his diaper before tucking him in," Hotch suggested.

Garcia nodded. She changed Spencer and loitioned him gently. She then put his pacifier into his mouth, instead of his thumb. She tucked him and kissed him on the forehead, turned on the baby monitor and went to the living room.

Hotch had made coffee for everyone and offered her a cup as well. "I think he enjoyed the zoo. I'd always assumed he was afraid of animals, actually," he commented.

Garcia chuckled. "Yeah, you would think so. Well, I think it's only dogs he's afraid of. Maybe."

"Yes. Maybe we should get him a pet sometime, teach him to be comfortable around animals," Hotch suggested. "Did he ever have pets as a child?" he asked Diana.

Diana shook her head. "No. We never got around to getting one. Maybe it is a good idea to get him a pet."

"Maybe..." Hotch said. He wasn't home much.

oOo

A few days later Hotch and Garcia had to help with an important case. Luckily Diana was still in good mood. So Dr. Norman agreed to take care of Spencer together with Diana.

Spencer seemed to be in better spirits. He still acted younger than he had in a long time, but he was well enough to give his mother and Dr. Norman a lot of work on their hands.

"No! I don't want any juice! I want coffee!" Spencer yelled at Dr. Norman.

Dr. Norman sighed. "Spencer...you know you can't have coffee. Now, drink your juice like a big boy," he said, trying to hand Spencer the sippy cup for the third time.

Spencer shook his head. "No. I want coffee!"

Dr. Norman shook his head. "You are this close to getting a timeout young man," he told him sternly.

Spencer was about to say something, but then the phone rang. As Dr. Norman went to the living room to get it, Spencer hurried to pour some coffee in a coffee cup and took a sip. Mmm, that was great. He was in heaven.

He suddenly heard a tutting sound behind him. Diana was standing there with her arms crossed over her chest. "What are you doing Spencer?" she asked crossly.

Spencer gulped. "Mmm... nothing," he said as innocently as he could.

Diana took the cup from him and looked at its contents. She set it down, and grabbed Spencer's arm, turning him around. She delivered three sharp swats to his backside and turned him back around to face her. "You will behave yourself now!" she scolded.

"Ow!" Spencer cried. "I-I just wanted c-coffee," he said in between sobs.

"Yes, and you just got swatted instead. Five minutes in the corner," Diana ordered, dragging him to the nursery. She just wanted to hold him and tell him everything was alright, but she needed to be firm, she knew that. She showed him to the small stool, and kissed his hair before leaving. "Five minutes."

Spencer was crying. When he saw Dr. Norman entering the nursery he looked pleadingly at him, hoping to be let out of the naughty chair.

Diana had told him what had happened. "No, Spencer. You stay right there. You brought it upon yourself," he told the young man. Spencer pouted while he cried.

Diana entered the room, and announced that the five minutes were up. "Come here," she said, holding out her arms. She had a bottle of milk in one hand. Spencer hurried up and hugged his mommy tightly. Diana kissed his cheek. It was salty with tears, and that alone nearly broke her heart. "There, there, everything is fine now," she told him. She sat down on the couch and brought him with her, urging him to lie down on her lap. Spencer did and happily accepted the bottle. Slowly the tears stopped and Spencer just suckled as he looked at her. She smiled reassuringly.

Dr. Norman made things ready for the exercise to help Spencer to chew better, while Diana fed Spencer his bottle.

"Don't let him go to sleep in there," he called to Diana. He was preparing a simple meal for Spencer.

"Okay," Diana called back softly. Spencer's eyes started to droop, though.

"Stay awake, baby," she told him, removing the bottle. Spencer whimpered while he rubbed his eyes.

"Dr. Norman is making lunch for you," Diana told him, helping him up. "You can have another bottle afterwards," she promised.

Spencer couldn't say no to that and let his mom help him up and to the kitchen.

Diana eyed the plate. "You think you can help Spencer chew again?" she asked Dr. Norman.

"Yes, I do," Dr. Norman said confidently.

Diana led Spencer to the chair and sat down next to him. "Let's get some food in you."

Before they fed Spencer Dr. Norman started massaging Spencer's jaw and throat gently, while he mumbled encouraging words to Spencer.

Diana watched in concern. "Will this work?"

"Not at first - it will take time. But the results are promising."

Diana nodded, rubbing Spencer's back. Spencer didn't like it, but he wanted to be able to chew again. Diana brought a piece of bread to his mouth. "Try this," she said.

Spencer opened his mouth and let her put the bread into his mouth. He started to chew slowly.

"Slow and easy," Dr. Norman advised. He let him have a sip of apple juice to make it easier.

Spencer took a sip and chewed slowly and then swallowed the bread. He smiled brightly.

"You're doing so well!" Diana cooed, and fed him another piece. Spencer was happy when the next few tries were successful too.

Dr. Norman was glad that it seemed to be working. He fed Spencer a little more of what was left on his plate while Diana prepared a bottle. Spencer yawned and turned away from the food. Dr. Norman carried him to the nursery where Diana sat on the bed and fed him his bottle. Spencer was suckling happily even after he fell asleep.

oOo

Hotch was in his office, when he received a call that a man had been apprehended in connection with Spencer's attempted kidnapping. He called the team together.

When the team arrived they looked curiously at Hotch. He updated them quickly. "Garcia, I want you to find everything you can on this guy. Prentiss and I will go interrogate him. The rest of you; stay ready in case we need you," he delegated.

"I'm on it Boss-man." Garcia said and went to her domain.

Prentiss and Hotch stood in front of the window to the interrogation room observing the man inside. His name was Johnny Cornell and he was a forty-three year-old mousy looking guy, with runny eyes. He was glancing around the room nervously, sweating. "I didn't do nothing!" he shouted at the wall, fidgeting in his chair. "Doesn't seem like the type to mobilize a kidnapping all on his own," Hotch said to Prentiss, frowning.

"You're right; he doesn't."

oOo

Spencer wanted a bit of adventure. He climbed out of his crib, even though he knew he wasn't allowed to. While his mother and Dr. Norman were chatting, he went outside the house.

Diana was reading. She'd decided to read all the books in Hotch's bookcases. She didn't read as fast as her son, but she was not slow by any means. Nr. Norman brought her a cup of coffee. "Where is Spencer?" she asked.

"He should still be sleeping in his crib. I'll go check."

He was shocked when he saw the crib was empty.

"He's gone!"

"What do you mean, he's gone?" she asked in alarm, jumping up.

"He's not in his crib as he should be," Dr. Norman said while looking for him in the living room. "Spencer! Where are you boy?"

oOo

Spencer walked unsteadily toward the park. He knew it was somewhere around here.

oOo

Diana went with Dr. Norman outside, looking first in the backyard. "Spencer?" she called. There was no response.

"Spencer!" Dr. Norman called too. "We'd better call Hotch."

Diana nodded. She was in tears. "How could we lose him like that?" she fretted.

"He's a genius. Did he ever run away when he was a child?"

"One time. He only made it to the neighbor's backyard. It's the only time I ever smacked his backside when he was a child. He never did it again," Diana explained, crying.

"Maybe he's done it again now, and he's probably forgotten what happened the last time he did it. Maybe we should try at the park before we worry Hotch about it."

Diana nodded, and followed Dr. Norman out of the yard. They went to the small park nearby. Spencer was sitting on the brink of the pond, looking at the ducks.

Spencer enjoyed watching the ducks. He just wished he'd taken some bread with him. He gulped though when he heard the firm voice of Dr. Norman.

"Spencer Reid!" Dr. Norman yelled, stalking to Spencer's side. He pulled him off the ground, and held him by the arms. "What do you think you're doing?"

Spencer gulped once again. "Watching the ducks?" he said as innocently as he could.

Diana stood next to them. "You don't know what you did wrong?" she asked sternly.

Spencer shook his head while he hoped that both his mommy and Dr. Norman would believe him.

"Spencer!" Diana scolded, knowing he was lying.

Spencer bit his lip. "I'm sorry Mommy."

"Well?," she prompted. "What did you do wrong?"

"Go close to the water?" He looked with puppy dog eyes at her.

"Yes, that too. And leave the house on your own," she scolded as Dr. Norman nodded seriously. "We'll have to tell your Dad," he warned.

"No, please!" Spencer begged. "I'm sorry!"

Diana grabbed his one hand and Dr. Norman took the other and they marched him home. "Corner," Diana ordered, pointing to the nursery.

Spencer rubbed his teary eyes. "Please, Mommy."

"Now, Spencer!" she yelled. Spencer reluctantly went to the corner while sniffling.

Diana sat down on the couch. "What should we do?" she asked Dr. Norman. Maybe Hotch would want to know, but on the other hand she didn't want to disturb him at work.

"We'll have to tell Hotch when he gets home."

"Alright. So what do we do now? We can't just let him get away with things like that. It's dangerous," Diana said.

"No." He let out a sigh. "We can't. Do you think Hotch would mind if I spank Spencer? "

Diana shrugged. "I don't know," she answered. "He is very protective of my boy." She knew she could do it, since she was his other parent, but she'd never done it before, at least not for real.

"Okay, but if you can't do it I will. Don't worry, I won't be too harsh."

Diana nodded, taking a deep breath. She was Spencer's mother; she should be able to do this. "If I do this, how should I do it then?"

"You get him over your lap. Make sure he knows you're angry with his actions, not him. He needs to feel loved while you punish him, or it is entirely pointless. We don't want him to be afraid of us."

Diana's eyes widened. Afraid? "Alright. I will, but I hardly think I'd hit that hard," she said.

"You need to be firm, yet loving. Remember that, or he won't learn anything."

"I know," she agreed, getting up and going to the nursery. Spencer was trembling with tears in the corner and it nearly broke her heart, but she remained firm on the outside. "Spencer, honey, you can come out now. Sit here," she instructed, patting the couch next to where she'd sat down.

Spencer had a bad feeling about this, so he shook his head. "No. Don't wanna."

"Now, Spencer. Don't make me come get you," she told him. He hurried to the living room and bumped into Dr. Norman.

Dr. Norman grabbed him. "Where do you think you're going, young man?" he asked him sternly.

"The living room, to watch some TV?"

"I believe your mother had something to discuss with you?" he said, dragging Spencer back to the nursery, and smacking his bottom lightly to urge him to go to his mother.

Spencer sniffed. He hoped his mother would comfort him, but no such luck.

Diana was very disappointed that Spencer had tried to run away from her. "I can't believe you pulled a stunt like that, Spencer! You're not getting out of this spanking," she told him.

"No please Mommy, don't. I'm sorry. I'm sorry!"'

"Not yet," she replied. She pulled down his pajama pants, and let him keep on his diaper. "Over my lap, Spencer."

"Mommy, please," he sobbed.

Diana hardened her heart against his pleas and pulled at his arm. "I won't tell you again".

Spencer reluctantly went over her lap. Diana took a deep steadying breath. He was her baby boy, but still... he'd put himself in danger and she needed to prevent it from happening again. She smacked his backside, and he squirmed a little. She did it again, gaining confidence and spanking harder.

"Ow! I'm sorry, Mommy! Ow! Please stop!"

"You will not sneak away like that again. Mommy was terribly scared that something bad had happened to you. I love you too much to let you get hurt. It was very naughty to run away like that and you know it," his mother scolded, spanking him. "Is that clear?"

"Yes! Ow, I promise! Ow! Please Mommy!"

Diana continued until she thought he'd learned his lesson, and then she flipped him over cradling him against her chest. "Never scare me like that again," she whispered, trying to hold back tears of her own. Spencer wrapped his arms around her neck and sobbed. She kissed his forehead and shushed him. "It's okay now. All is forgiven," she told him.

oOo

It didn't take much effort for Hotch and Morgan to get the man to spill the beans and tell on Mr. Smith. Obviously the man hadn't seen movies about the bad cop/good cop technique.

Hotch was relieved that at least only one psycho had been after Spencer all along, and he sighed looking at Morgan. "That was that, I guess. Even more to pin on Smith." He missed Spencer, and wondered how he was doing.

"Yes, and now the court won't need Spencer to go on the witness stand as we have enough dirt on Mr. Smith."

Hotch nodded. He'd feared Spencer might have to, but considering his current mental state and the overwhelming evidence, it wouldn't be necessary. "If you wrap this up, I'll be headed home. Diana and Dr. Norman might need some assistance by now," he told Morgan.

"Sure thing." Morgan said and went back to work.

oOo

Hotch opened the door to his house, calling out, "I'm home." He wasn't very loud in case Spencer was napping.

Dr. Norman went to him. "Welcome back. How was your day? Some good news I hope."

"Yes, Spencer's kidnapper was hired by Smith. We've got them both in custody and they won't get off easy. How've things been here?"

"That's great news... well, I'm sorry to tell you, but Spencer has been naughty and Diana decided to spank him."

Hotch was shocked. "Really? What did he do?" he asked worriedly. Diana didn't seem like the type of person who had a short temper or anything, so that couldn't be the reason.

"We found his crib empty today and couldn't find him in the house. He'd crawled out and then walked to the park on his own."

"He did what?" Hotch felt scared and angry at the same time. By God, if Diana hadn't already punished the boy, he'd already be over his knee. "But Diana handled it?"

"Yes, she did - she had to make sure he'd learned his lesson."

"I understand. Where are they now?"

"In the nursery, Spencer needed to be changed."

Hotch nodded and headed to the nursery. Diana was in the process of powdering Spencer. "Hi, there," Hotch said, announcing his presence.

"Daddy!" Spencer said, lying restlessly on the changing table. Hotch went to him and kissed his forehead. Then he turned a stern look at him. "I hear you've been very naughty," he said.

Spencer didn't dare look him in the eye. "'m sorry Daddy."

"You'd better be. You should be ashamed of yourself, worrying your mother and Dr. Norman like that. I never want repeats of that, are we clear?" he scolded Spencer. Spencer nodded while he started to cry.

Diana fixed his clothes and caressed his face. "There, there baby. No tears." Hotch felt a little bad, and rubbed Spencer's arm to comfort him. Spencer raised his arms, wanting Hotch to pick him up.

Hotch complied and held him close. "Shh...it's all forgiven now. You just scared us," he told him.

"When will I be allowed to go places on my own again?"

"Not anytime soon. When you get better, you might, but at the moment you are not allowed to go anywhere on your own. Under any circumstances."

Spencer pouted.

"Sorry, those are the rules. And I think you know by now what happens when you break them," Hotch said, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, Daddy," Spencer said while sniffing. Diana smiled at him. "You know Mommy still loves you, right?"

Spencer smiled. "Yes, Mommy. Love you too."

Diana beamed at him and petted his hair. "I'm very proud to be your mother, even when I have to spank you," she said jokingly.

"Please don't spank me again, Mommy. I don't like it."

She and Hotch both chuckled. "I know you don't, but I can't promise that. Not unless you promise to always behave yourself from now on," she said. Spencer pouted. "I can't because then I would be lying."

"Yes, and lying is bad too," Hotch agreed. "Just try, at least. We don't like punishing you." Diana nodded. "You're my baby boy," she said, tickling him and making him blush.

"I'll try... can we stay home today? I don't wanna go to physical therapy today."

"No, it's too important. You know it's helping too. You're actually walking better," Hotch told him.

"But it still hurts," Spencer pouted.

"I know. We'll go to the store afterwards. Buy you that new Star Wars lego thing you really want, alright?" Hotch offered. He didn't know if he should be bribing Spencer; it might turn out to be really bad for himself if he spoiled Spencer, but he liked buying him things that he wanted.

Spencer's eyes shined brightly. "Yay! Thank you Daddy, you're the best!"


	28. Chapter 28

**Thanks to the reviewers and sorry for the delay. Exam paper time :(**

Spencer pouted. "Why should I apologize to Mommy and Dr. N?"

"You know why, Spencer," Hotch replied sternly.

"But I've already said I was sorry." He pouted once again.

"And now you'll apologize properly," Hotch said, leading him by the arm to the living room where Dr. Norman and Diana were sitting.

Spencer let out a frustrated sigh. When they stood in front of his mom and Dr. Norman Spencer bit his lip and looked down at the floor, but he didn't say a word.

"Yes Spencer?" his mother prompted.

"I'm sorry, Mommy. For worrying you." He then looked over to Dr. Norman. "I'm sorry for worrying you too Dr. Norman."

They both nodded. "Yes, we were very worried, but all is forgiven now," Diana assured him, patting her lap. "Come sit with me."

Spencer hurried to sit on her lap. Dr. Norman smiled at him. "Diana is right. And I forgive you too."

Diana held him close. "We can go feed the ducks together some time, if you like."

Spencer smiled brightly while he nodded.

"Let's read a book," Diana suggested, picking up a colorful book from the coffee table and opening it in front of Spencer.

Spencer listened happily to his mom reading to him.

Hotch went into the kitchen and filled a bottle with apple juice. He brought it to the living room. "Thirsty?" he asked Spencer, who was deeply caught up in the story his mother was telling. Spencer looked up and nodded. He happily took the bottle.

Diana continued reading, simultaneously helping Spencer hold the bottle.

Sometime later Spencer wasn't happy at all to hear that it was time for them to go to physical therapy.

"Spencer, we're going. You can stop that, right now," Hotch said, forcing the coat on Spencer.

"But I don't wanna go," Spencer whined.

Hotch picked Spencer up and carried him to the car ignoring his protests. He put him in the car and buckled him in.

Spencer started to cry. "I don't wanna go."

Hotch turned on the radio, not acknowledging Spencer at all. It was the same thing every time he had physical therapy. He needed to learn that he wasn't getting out of it.

Spencer cried even louder. He hated it when Hotch ignored him.

Thankfully, the drive was short. When they'd parked, Hotch lifted his screaming son from the car and carried him into the front office.

The therapist was ready when they arrived so they were asked to go straight to the therapy room.

Spencer wouldn't calm down, and Hotch sent the therapist an apologetic look. "He really didn't want to go today."

"That's okay. You can give him a bottle if you want, before we begin," the therapist said.

Hotch nodded, and got a bottle from Spencer's diaper bag. "Spencer! Here, you want your bottle?"

Spencer nodded and accepted the bottle. Once the bottle was empty, Spencer's crying had almost stopped. Hotch gave him a pacifier though. "Here," he said, stroking his hair.

Spencer started to suck wildly on the pacifier as if it was the last time he was able to suckle on his pacifier.

Hotch sighed. "Let's just get this over with," he told the therapist.

The therapist nodded and started the therapy. He started slowly, to help Spencer's muscles warm up.

"He's walking better," Hotch commented, as he held Spencer's hand.

"Yes, he is," the therapist said happily. "It's important that you continue the exercise at home. And then I'm sure before this year is over Spencer will be able to walk without any problems."

"Sounds good," Hotch said. "Although he might miss having people carrying him around," he said jokingly to Spencer. Spencer just suckled innocently on his pacifier.

When the session was finally over, Hotch carried Spencer back to the car. "That wasn't so bad after all, was it?"

Spencer just glared at him.

Hotch stopped by the toy store, like he'd promised. "We're only getting one thing," he warned.

Spencer nodded. And inside the toy store Spencer found the biggest box there. "I want that one please." He smiled brightly.

Hotch sighed. "That's not what we agreed on. That thing costs half my monthly salary. Put it back."

"But you only said I was only getting one thing and the box is one thing."

Hotch shook his head. "You told me you wanted that Star Wars spaceship thingy. That's it, or you're not getting anything at all," he told him. Spencer let out a sigh and reluctantly put the box back.

One of the teens working at the store was eyeing Spencer funny. Hotch glared at him. "We're getting this," he said, pointing to the Lego box.

The teen gulped at the stern expression Hotch gave him. He then hurried to tell them how much it cost. Hotch paid and left the store with Spencer in tow.

Back home Spencer played happily with his new toy. Hotch got himself a much needed cup of coffee. He was really looking forward to the day when Spencer didn't have to go to physical therapy any more.

Dr. Norman went to Hotch. "A long day?"

"Yeah, Spencer cried a lot and after physical therapy he tried to get me to buy some robot toy that was insanely expensive. But at least he seems happy for now."

Dr. Norman laughed. "He's really something."

"He is. But fortunately it's helping," Hotch agreed.

"It's good that the physical therapy is helping him. And that my talk with Spencer is going good too."

"I'm happy that you're able to help him as well. I just really want him to forget anything ever happened, but I know that's not possible."

Dr. Norman shook his head sadly. "No. It would only harm him in the long run."

"I know. But just look at him playing. It's like he has no worries. Just the way I wish it was," Hotch said, gesturing to Spencer who was playing on the floor of the living room.

Later in the evening Spencer was so tired after he'd had his daily talk with Dr. Norman, and he was still exhausted from the physical therapy he'd been through this afternoon too.

Garcia had come over to drop off some files for Hotch and volunteered to tuck Spencer in. "Come with me," she said, reaching out her hand. Spencer stood up at took Garcia's hand while rubbing his eyes with one fist.

She led him to the nursery and changed his diaper and put him in a clean sleeper. She sat on his bed with him and held him close. "Tough day?" she asked.

Spencer nodded. He was too exhausted to talk. And he'd just had a long and difficult talk with Dr. Norman.

"Milk?" Garcia offered. It had been a while. Spencer nodded with a bright smile.

Garcia smiled back at him and unbuttoned her shirt, pulling her bra out of the way. Spencer latched on and suckled slowly with his eyes closed. He sighed deeply in contentment.

Hotch had a feeling that he knew what Garcia was giving Spencer, so he made sure that Garcia and Spencer would have some privacy.

Spencer fell asleep after a while and Garcia fixed her clothes and tucked him in. "Night, babyface," she told him. She left the room quietly.

"Is he asleep?" Hotch asked.

"Yes," Garcia confirmed.

"Good. That poor kid was so exhausted. It's been a hard day for him."

"It has. I'm happy I was able to help," she said, blushing a little.

Hotch handed her a cup of coffee. "I'm happy too that you were able to help him."

Garcia drank her coffee with a big smile on her face. "We'll, I'd better get going. As soon as I've finished my coffee," she said. "Coffee's important."

Hotch nodded and smiled back.

Diana and Dr. Norman came back from their walk. "Bye Diana, Dr. N," Garcia said. "See you."

They said their goodbyes. "We're going back to Las Vegas in two days," Dr. Norman said sadly.

"Oh, we'll miss you," Garcia said, and Hotch nodded. "We were just getting used to having you two around every day."

"Yeah, but I may open my own sanitarium here and Diana can come with me, if her guardian agrees to it."

"That would be great," Hotch agreed.

oOo

Two days later Spencer was crying. "Please don't go mommy."

"I'm sorry baby. I'll be back soon, or you'll visit me," Diana said, crying herself. It felt very wrong to be leaving him now. Spencer hugged her tightly, not wanting to let her go.

Dr. Norman let them say goodbye and then tried to pry Spencer's arms away from his mother. "We really have to leave now Spencer, or we won't catch our plane."

That only made him hug her tighter. He didn't want them to catch the plane. He wanted them to stay.

Hotch came to help. He wished they could've stayed too. Spencer didn't need to feel that he was being abandoned by his mother. "They'll be back. We'll see them soon again," he promised, cradling Spencer against his own chest. Spencer sobbed into Hotch's neck.

Dr. Norman took Diana's arm and led her outside. He figured it would be better to cut the goodbye scene short, for Spencer's sake. Hotch held Spencer and rocked him as he cried.

Hotch carried him into the living room and sat with him on the couch, trying to distract him with a stuffed toy. Spencer cuddled the stuffed toy close to his chest, but he was still crying.

It took the rest of the afternoon for Spencer to calm down. He cried himself to sleep eventually, and Hotch was exhausted himself.

The next day Tony was able to cheer up Spencer. Hotch had invited him and Gibbs over.

Tony tackled Spencer to the floor. "Missed you kiddo!" he laughed.

"I missed you too!" Spencer laughed, when Tony started to tickle him.

"Gibbs has been so boring, I thought the plants might start to wither in the living room. He doesn't let me do anything!"

Gibbs rolled his eyes and went to join Hotch in the kitchen while still keeping an eye on the boys.

"So what've you been up to? Found any great escape routes from this place?" Tony asked.

"I did escape a few days ago, but that only gave me a sore backside." Spencer said, wincing.

"Oh, that sucks. Hotch is almost as mean as Gibbs like that, but I've actually stayed out of trouble for a while now. Mostly because he's constantly watching me," Tony grumbled. "I'm so super bored, I'm just about willing to do anything. Any ideas? We won't get caught or anything, so no worries," Tony said.

"Actually it was my mom who spanked me," he said blushing. "And I-I don't think we should do anything that can earn us a spanking."

"Come on, don't be such a baby. Besides, your mom could hardly have spanked that hard," Tony said.

"O she can believe me she can... no, I think we'd better stay."

Tony pouted. "You're no fun today. Since when did you become such a goodie-two-shoes anyway? Can we at least do something fun inside then?"

Spencer started to sniff as what Tony said reminded him of the bullies from High School and college.

Tony frowned at him. "Don't cry, okay? I didn't mean it like that," he said, casting a nervous glance in the direction of the kitchen. He really didn't need Hotch or Gibbs to find out that he'd upset the kid.

Spencer rubbed his eyes. "O-okay. We can play with my new Star Wars toy."

"Nerdy," Tony commented. "But in a cool way. I like Star Wars." They started playing, but Tony was still bored. He'd been cooped up inside for SO long.

Gibbs noticed the bored look on his son's face. "What do you say to going to the amusement park with the boys?"

"Sounds like a plan," Hotch agreed. Tony had started stealing some of the Lego pieces from Spencer. He sensed a fight coming on if they just let the boys entertain themselves.

Gibbs went to the boys. "Boys. We need to get ready. We're going on a little trip.

"Really?" Tony asked, dropping the Legos. "Where?"

"Yes. We're going to the amusement park."

"Cool! Spencer and I will go on the wildest ride there," Tony professed, jumping to his feet and running toward the door. Gibbs noticed the worried look on Hotch's face. "Don't worry. I won't let him ride that thing."

"I'm glad. Spencer's not going on anything wilder than the merry-go-round," he said grimly. "He's too accident prone."

Gibbs nodded in agreement. They went to pack a picnic basket and drove off.

Once they arrived, Tony was so eager he tried to pull his hand out of Gibbs' grasp. "I wanna go on the rollercoaster, NOW!" he cried.

Gibbs kept a firm grip. "You'd better behave or we're going straight home."

"No, please! We wanna go on the rollercoaster," Tony insisted as a bunch of screaming people soared higher and higher.

"Okay, but only you and I. Spencer isn't allowed to."

Hotch nodded in agreement. But Spencer pouted. "I wanna ride too!"

"Yeah, he wants to ride too. He's not a baby you know," Tony told Hotch, crossing his arms over his chest. "He can go if he wants to."

"Yes! I want to ride on the rollercoaster too... please." Spencer begged Hotch.

Hotch eyed Tony sternly. "I'm Spencer's guardian and soon I'll be his father. Spencer is not allowed to go." He sent Spencer a stern look too.

Spencer pouted. "But please, Daddy."

"I said no. You two can go on the merry-go-round. I'll go with you." Tony groaned loudly. "No way. That sucks."

Gibbs took Tony's hand. "Come on let's get to the rollercoaster."

Spencer was sniffing, so Hotch took him to the line at the merry-go-round. They sat together in a horse carriage. It was actually fun, but Spencer didn't want to admit it just yet.

This was wild enough for Spencer, Hotch knew that. He'd even been a little scared when the ride started, but he'd enjoyed himself otherwise. "Cotton candy?" Hotch suggested when they'd gotten off.

Spencer smiled brightly and his mouth started to water. Hotch got them the bright pink treat and went to find Tony and Gibbs.

Tony was a little green in the face when they met them.

"That was so cool. You should've been there," Tony insisted. Really he'd been scared, but he didn't want to admit that. He stole some of Spencer's cotton candy, but Spencer didn't seem to mind it.

"Dad? Can Spencer and I go explore a bit. Then you old people can drink coffee," Tony asked.

Gibbs told him where they could go and that they needed to be within eyesight.

They walked around for a bit looking at everything. "So, wanna go on the ride? They're busy now. That rollercoaster was like the coolest thing ever," Tony said. Spencer nodded, as he really wanted to.

They climbed into the cart together. "This is so sweet," Tony gushed as the cart started moving. Spencer was so excited. It went very fast and Tony was a bit scared again, but not as much. Spencer looked really freaked out though.

Spencer wanted to cry, but was afraid to. Afraid that Tony would think he was a baby. Tony took Spencer's hand. He shouldn't have talked him into this.

When the coaster finally stopped they hurried out. Spencer vomited. He was so sick.

Tony started to feel really bad. Then he felt worse, when he saw Hotch and Gibbs stalking toward them.

Spencer didn't noticed has he really didn't feel good at all.

Hotch immediately went to him. "Baby, are you sick?" he asked worriedly. "What happened?"

Spencer nodded while crying. "I-I vomited... Daddy."

"We went on the rollercoaster," Tony confessed.

Gibbs looked at him, not so pleased.

"Dad... please. We didn't mean to," Tony tried.

"We'll talk about this when we get home."

Tony didn't like the sound of that. "We didn't do anything."

"We'll talk about this later." Gibbs said firmly and looked over at Hotch who was wiping Spencer's face. The boy was still crying.

"I told you not to go on that rollercoaster. And I've also told you not to sneak off!" Hotch scolded half-heartedly. Spencer was too sad for him to really be upset yet. Spencer just sobbed harder.

Tony thought Spencer seemed to be winning more sympathy than he was. He started crying too. "Sorry Dad," he said. Gibbs hugged him. "As I said, we'll talk about this when we get home."

"I don't want to talk," Tony cried.

"Sorry but that is nonnegotiable."'

Tony cried more, but followed Gibbs out of the amusement park. Hotch had picked Spencer up and was carrying him back to the car. Spencer was sucking his thumb not caring about the strange looks strangers were sending his way.

Hotch put him in the backseat. The drive back was rather tense. They put both boys in Spencer's nursery and went to talk in the kitchen. "What are we going to do with them?" Hotch asked Gibbs.

"They really deserve a spanking, but maybe they've been punished enough from the scare. What do you think?"

"Spencer's been punished for sneaking off before. This time I think it was Tony's idea, though."

"Yes, you're probably right. I'll give Tony a spanking for this when we get home."'

Hotch nodded. "I'll deal with Spencer later. I don't know what I'll do yet."


	29. Chapter 29

In the nursery, Tony was feeling nervous. He knew what this might mean, but he was refusing to acknowledge the possibility.

Gibbs nodded. "Well, I think Tony and I'd better get home."

Tony tried to talk Gibbs into letting him stay. "But Spencer and I want to have a sleepover! Please!" he begged.

"Some other time. Now let's go."

"Noooo! Gibbs!" Tony whined.

Gibbs just guided him toward the door.

Spencer was really nervous about what Hotch was going to do to him after the stunt with the rollercoaster.

As soon as Tony and Gibbs had gone, Hotch went to the nursery. He looked at Spencer sternly. "What did you do wrong today?"

Spencer gulped. "I'm sorry, Daddy."

"I'm waiting," Hotch said.

"I-I shouldn't have let Tony convince me to go on the rollercoaster," Spencer sniffed.

"Right. And why is that?"

"Because I got sick?"

"That too. Why were you not supposed to go in the first place? What did we tell you two?"

Spencer shrugged. "I-I can't remember."

"You were supposed to stay within eyesight. Wandering off on your own is dangerous. You know that right?" Hotch asked worriedly.

Spencer looked down to the floor. "I'm sorry, Daddy." Spencer sniffed once again.

Hotch sighed. "You've been punished for sneaking off before. This is your very last chance. Next time, I'll have to take a hairbrush to your backside. Don't make me do that, alright?" Hotch asked, sitting down. "Come here, you'll only get ten swats this time, because you got sick, and Tony talked you into it. That won't be an excuse next time, though."

Spencer wanted to talk his way out of it but he had a feeling that it would be a lost cause, so he went to Hotch. Tears were streaming down his face.

Hotch pulled him down over his lap and gave him ten firm swats on his padded backside. "Consider yourself lucky," he told Spencer.

"Yes Daddy," Spencer sniffled.

Hotch hugged him close. "You know Daddy gets scared when he can't find you. It hurt me very much," he told Spencer.

Spencer hugged him tight. "I'm really sorry, Daddy. I'll never want to ride on a rollercoaster again. Yuck."

"No, and you'll never sneak away again either," he said.

Spencer didn't answer that, as he had a feeling he couldn't keep his promise if he did.

"Spencer?" Hotch prompted.

"Maybe we're not done yet," he said, pretending to get ready to put Spencer over his knee again.

"No! Please Daddy!"

"Are you going to sneak off again?" Hotch prompted.

Spencer crossed his fingers behind his back. "No, I won't."

"Good. I meant it about the hairbrush," Hotch threatened.

Spencer didn't believe him.

Hotch sighed and pulled Spencer close again. He had a feeling that Spencer would keep testing his boundaries, but he really hoped that he would not put himself in danger again. Hotch vowed to himself that Spencer wouldn't be alone anytime soon. If he wasn't at Spencer's side, how would he be able to protect him against creeps like Smith? No, the answer was simple; Spencer would be holding his hand whenever they left the house from now on. Hotch changed Spencer's diaper and put him down for a nap.

Later that day they went to the park for a walk. Spencer tried to get his hand free from Hotch's.

"You stay right here," Hotch told Spencer, keeping a firm hold on his hand.

"I will, but why do I need to hold your hand?" he whined.

"Because I don't trust you not to run off. Now stop complaining or we're going back home again."

Spencer stopped, but not without pouting though.

They fed the ducks and soon Spencer was happy and smiling again. It was a very tired Spencer who was tucked in that night.

oOo

Sadly, Hotch needed to get back to work. Today was the first day Clive came over as Spencer and Tony's babysitter.

Tony was at Spencer's. He'd sort of missed Clive.

Both Hotch and Gibbs were there to give Clive instructions. "I promise I'll take good care of them both."

Hotch nodded. He knew he would, and even if he didn't he'd know immediately, thanks to Garcia's cameras.

"Don't forget; Tony needs rules and needs to know that there will be consequences for his actions," Gibbs said firmly.

Tony scowled. "No, I don't. I never do anything."

Gibbs rolled his eyes. "Are we clear?"  
"Yes, Sir." Clive said.

Tony pouted. Figures that Gibbs would ruin his fun before it had even started.

As soon as Hotch and Gibbs left, Clive said. "I'd better tell you two about my rules when I'm babysitting you."

Tony sighed. "More rules? Seriously?"

"Yes." Clive took something out of his bag. "Let's get to the kitchen and I'll explain."  
Spencer didn't like the idea about more rules either.

Tony got up and followed Clive, pushing Spencer along. If he had to listen to this, Spencer would have to as well.

Clive hung two boards up on the refrigerator. One with Spencer's name on it and the other with Tony's. "Whenever you are being naughty, you'll get a mark on the board. And you'll get a point for each time you have been good a whole day. When you have over ten points with less than two marks there will be a reward. The one who gets the most points is allowed to choose what we are going to do for fun, but it has to be something that isn't dangerous. Each of your fathers has to agree to it, and so do I."

Tony narrowed his eyes. He was probably more likely to get marks. "So, if we have more marks?"

"You'll get extra chores."

"Chores?" Tony asked, horrified. What was he talking about?

"Yes, chores. Like setting the table and washing the dishes etc."

Tony nodded. He didn't like the sound of that. Gibbs usually did those things. This guy really was a drill sergeant. "Can we play now?" he asked, sighing.

"Yes. But in an hour we need to do some exercise to help Spencer along with his physical therapy. I hope you want to help me with that? It'll be fun I promise."

Spencer didn't like the sound of that. He hated physical therapy and he didn't believe that it would be fun. It surely wasn't funny at his physical therapist.

"Sure," Tony agreed. He'd gladly help Spencer. "Stop pouting, little bro," he told Spencer.

"But physical therapy isn't fun. I don't want to exercise," Spencer whined.

"It can be a lot of fun," Tony promised. "And then we can play afterwards."

"Tony is right, Spencer. It'll more be like a game than an exercise."

Spencer just shrugged.

"Clive? Can we draw?" Tony asked.

"Sure." Clive said and helped them to get the stuff so they could draw. Tony started drawing a red car. He really wanted a Ferrari some day. Spencer was concentrating very hard on his own picture. "What's that?" Tony asked.

"Einstein on the moon."

"Right," Tony said, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. "Pretty."

An hour later Clive went with the boys outside to start the exercise.

"Come on, Spencer," Tony encouraged.

Spencer reluctantly followed. Tony held Spencer's hand. "It'll be okay. And don't tell McGeek that I'm holding your hand," he warned.

"I won't."  
They played with a ball in a way that meant that Spencer had to use both his arms and legs.

Tony thought it was kind of cool, and Spencer seemed to like the game as well. "Here," Tony said, tossing the ball to Spencer.

Spencer bit his lip while he focused on kicking the ball in Clive's direction. 

oOo

"Hi Boss-man what can I do for you?"

"How's Spencer?" Hotch asked nervously. He felt like such a mother hen. Even during the meeting with Strauss, Spencer was all he'd been able to think about.

"He's doing great. Wait a sec and you can see for yourself from your computer." 

Hotch waited anxiously, and smiled widely when he saw Spencer crawling around on the lawn, trying to catch a ball.

"You're doing great, Spencer!" he could hear Clive's voice say.

"You see that?" Hotch asked Garcia. He felt like they were two new parents enjoying a sappy moment together.

"Yes. Aww, it's so cute. I have a feeling that Clive is helping Spencer with his physical therapy, but in a fun way.""

"It would seem that way. Oh, did he fall down?" Hotch asked, as Spencer dropped to his stomach on the feed.

They then saw Clive hurrying to him and blow on the 'booboo'.

Hotch felt calmer when he saw how well Clive could comfort Spencer. At first Spencer was very much in baby-mode and very tearful, but it only took a few minutes for him to start laughing and playing again. "Thank you so much for this, Garcia."

"You're welcome."

Hotch watched a little longer, and then closed the computer. He figured he could check a few times throughout the day.

oOo

After the exercise Spencer was really exhausted, but in a good way.

"I'm hungry," Tony complained.

Clive hurried to prepare lunch. While Tony ate on his own Clive was feeding Spencer as the poor boy was very tired. Tony was hungry enough that he didn't even complain about the green stuff in his food.

After lunch Clive changed Spencer's diaper and tucked him in for his nap. He was sound asleep before he was even tucked in. "Your turn, Tony."

"No, I'm not even tired," Tony whined, trying to get away. "I want to play instead."

"It's nonnegotiable, Tony. Now let's go," Clive said firmly.

"No! I'm not a baby, I don't need a nap. Spencer does, I don't," Tony shouted.

"Tony! I'll give you one final warning." Clive said.

"Or what?" Tony asked rudely. He didn't want a nap, and when Gibbs wasn't there to make him, he wasn't going to just give in.

"First of all you'll get a mark and second you'll get a timeout for ten minutes and then you're taking a nap," Clive said firmly.

Tony crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm so scared - a mark! And I'm not standing in the stupid corner OR taking a stupid nap!" He was actually tired, but he wouldn't show it.

"Okay. You had your warnings. You've gotten yourself a mark." Clive then took him by the arm and dragged him to the corner. "Ten minutes. Just so you know, I won't hesitate to spank you."

oOo

"Uh-oh." Abby thought. "Not a good move Tony!" Abby said when she saw the security feed from the Hotchner's house that Garcia had helped her to be able to watch. "You'd better not let the Boss-man see you."

On the feed, it was getting worse. "Leave me alone!" Tony screamed. "So I got a mark, so what? You suck. I hate you!"

Clive let out a frustrated sigh. He really didn't want to do this, but Gibbs expected him to be firm and stand by his rules. Clive then dragged Tony to a chair and sat down and got Tony over his lap. He raised his hand and slapped it hard enough for Tony to feel that he meant business. Tony would be even less happy when he knew that Gibbs was watching too.

"Stop!" Tony screamed, kicking his legs. "Let go of me!"

"No, not until you behave. Now you've got three marks on your board. Soon you'll have lots of chores to do."

Tony started sobbing. It hurt and he was tired. "I want to go home!" he wailed.

Clive stopped the spanking. "Shh, shh there. Everything is going to be okay. You're tired; let's get you to bed." Clive helped the sobbing Tony to the bathroom and changed him. As soon as his head hit the pillow, he was sound asleep. Clive stood there for a while and brushed Tony's hair away from his forehead. "Tony, Tony. Your stubbornness is only causing you trouble. When will you ever learn?" Clive then went to check on Spencer and he was amazed that Spencer hadn't woken up from it all.

oOo

Abby stared at the screen. "He was just tired and cranky," she told Gibbs pleadingly.

"Still, he knew what he was doing and he was warned."

"But Boss-man...he's just a babe," Abby said, batting her eyelashes at him.

"Sorry, but that's not getting him out of trouble."

"Clive already punished him," she protested.

"I have some rules too Abigail, and he knows it and he knows that he's disobeyed them."

She pouted. "But...but, please. For me?"

"He'll be grounded for a week. That's final."

Abby knew he meant it, so she didn't say anything else.

oOo

While the boys were taking their naps, Clive studied. He had the baby monitor close to him so he could hear the boys if there was something up, but still he went every ten minutes or so to check on them. After what Smith had done to Spencer, Clive needed to make sure the boys were okay.

He saw that Tony sucked on the edge of his pillowcase and turned over in his sleep, while Spencer was sucking heavily on his thumb, so much that Clive feared for his thumb. So he went to him and pulled his thumb of his mouth and then put a pacifier in instead. The security camera filmed it and Hotch was watching it from where he was.

oOo

Hotch watched fondly. He wondered if Spencer would ever outgrow the thumb-sucking.

oOo

Clive checked the baby monitor to be sure it was on and then went back to the living room to study.

Tony woke up wet. He was getting much better at staying dry, and it upset him that he'd wet himself. He started crying. "Clive?" he called, trying not to wake Spencer.

Clive hurried to stop what he was doing and went to the nursery. "Hey, hey there. What is it Tony? Why are you crying?"

"I'm wet. I'm sorry," he cried.

Clive hurried to get the rails down and pulled Tony into his arms. "Shh, shh. No need to be sorry. It was an accident. Let me tell you a story about a young man that has suffered from the same problem you have."

Tony nodded tearfully. He was supposed to be a big boy now and not wet himself, but at least Clive wasn't angry.

Clive told him about the young man without mentioning that he was that man. "So you see. Now he's dry, though it can happen that he has accidents at night, but that only happens one or two times a year maybe a little more. It's nothing to be embarrassed about. It's not your fault you can't control your body."

Tony nodded. Maybe it would stop someday. "Thanks, Clive. I'm sorry I said those things before. I don't really hate you," he said, tearing up again. Why did he always have to mess up all the good things in his life?

"You're forgiven. Now let's get you dry."

"'k. You're not going to tell my dad about earlier, are you?" he asked worriedly.

"No, but you are. It's better to be honest. You get further in the long run, being honest. Believe me... I've learned it the hard way," Clive said, winching at the memory of the spankings his dad had given him.

"Please! Clive, you can't tell him. He'll be so mad," Tony whimpered, as he was placed on the changing table.

"As I said I won't, but you will. Don't worry; he won't be as mad as you think, and besides you've already been punished."

Tony just whimpered. Clive hurried to change his diaper and then carried him to the kitchen, preparing a bottle for him.

Tony blushed. He wanted to be a big boy, but he also really wanted the bottle.

Clive invited him to sit on his lap to have his bottle.

Tony was happy that Spencer was still asleep, so he didn't have to act cool. He drank his milk as he pushed himself against Clive. When Tony had emptied the bottle Clive let him sit on his lap as long as he needed the comfort.

Tony could hear Spencer crying, and Clive seemed to hear it too. "Think he's awake," Tony said, getting off his lap.

"Yep, sure sounds like it." Clive said and got up and went to Spencer.

"You awake, honey?" he asked as he lifted Spencer out of the crib.

Spencer rubbed his eyes. Now that he knew he wasn't alone he stopped crying, though he was still hiccupping.

"Bad dream?" Clive asked worriedly, as he bounced Spencer carefully.

Spencer nodded. "S-Smith," he said and he was about to cry again. At the other end of the camera Hotch was holding his breath.

Clive felt tears in his own eyes. "He can't hurt you anymore. No one can. Shh..." he soothed, hugging Spencer closer.

Hotch wiped at his eyes far away from there.

"Promise?"

"Yes, I promise. Let's get you into a clean diaper. You can have a bottle afterwards, and then you and Tony can play for a while," Clive said.

Spencer rubbed his teary eyes and nodded. "'k."

Clive changed Spencer and put a new sleeper on him. The old one was soaked with sweat. He let Spencer play on the floor until the bottle was done and then he sat on the living room couch to feed Spencer. The boy looked at him with large brown eyes, and once again it hurt Clive inside to think that anyone could hurt him. Spencer didn't know why, but he felt safe in Clive's arms.

When the bottle was empty, Clive smiled and tickled Spencer. "Ready to play?" he asked. Maybe Spencer needed some more cuddling. Spencer shook his head. He wanted to keep feeling safe.

Clive kept holding him and started chatting about a cat named Lion, who went on many adventures. Tony sat next to them and listened intently. Spencer enjoyed listening to the story.

"...but the Lion returned to his Momma, and even though the world had been an exciting place he'd missed her terribly. He promised to visit more often," Clive finished.

Spencer smiled brightly.

"Wow, you tell really cool stories," Tony said in awe.

Clive was about to answer, but the door bell rang and he got up to answer it. "Tony. Stay close to Spencer," he said to be on the safe side. You never knew who was at the door, especially with the boys' fathers' line of work. Safety was important.

Tony immediately turned serious, and put a protective arm around Spencer. No one was ever hurting his baby brother again.

Clive looked through the peep hole, and to his relief it was Gibbs. He turned around and said, "It's your father, Tony." He then unlocked the door and let Gibbs in.

"Dad!" Tony said brightly, a little nervously too though.

Gibbs smiled. "Hi son."

Tony went to hug him. "Spencer and I had fun today," he told him.

"That's good son. You can tell me all about your day when we get home."

"Okay. Can I have ice cream too?"

"If you been a **very** good boy today, you can."

Tony shuffled his feet. "Most of the time," he said.

"You can tell me about it when we get home."

Tony just nodded miserably. He wasn't very good at lying to Gibbs and Clive would probably tell him anyway.


	30. Chapter 30

**Thanks to reviewers and subscribers:)**

After Gibbs had gone, Hotch called and asked if Clive could stay overnight to babysit Spencer as there was a case they needed to attend to. He said he probably would be back tomorrow.

"Of course. Does he need a bath today?" Clive asked.

Hotch wanted to say no, as he wasn't quite comfortable letting another man bathe his son after the incident with Smith, but the boy really needed a bath. Well, he hoped he would be able to observe the bath through the cameras.

"Yes, he needs one."

"Alright, I'll handle it. I know it must be difficult for you to accept me doing that, but I assure you; Spencer is safe with me," Clive said.

"He'd better be," he warned.

"He is," Clive repeated. After a long lecture on what to feed Spencer, Clive hung up.

oOo

Spencer was sitting on the floor playing with his Legos. Clive joined him and together they built a huge tower. "Well, I think it's time for dinner and then a bath," he told Spencer.

"No bath!" Spencer said firmly.

"Yes, bath. Stop that, and let's make some dinner. You can help wash the carrots," Clive said as he led him into the kitchen. Spencer pouted. He was going to show Clive that he wasn't going to have a bath.

Clive let Spencer help prepare the meal. He always felt that people were more likely to eat it, if they'd helped make it.

"Why can't I use the knife to peel the carrots?" Spencer whined.

"Because knives are dangerous. Just wash them, and I'll to the peeling and dicing."

Spencer let out a frustrated sigh.

Clive tied a bib around Spencer's neck once he was seated at the table. He then fed Spencer his dinner. "Hungry, aren't you?"

Spencer nodded and accepted the food Clive fed him. Once they were finished, Clive carried Spencer to the bathroom. "Any favorite bath toys?" he asked him.

"Don't want a bath."

"But you need a bath, and I'm giving you one. So, the yellow ducky perhaps?"

Spencer shook his head firmly. "No bath!"

"It's either a bath, or ten minutes in the corner followed by a bath and an early bedtime," Clive told him.

As Spencer didn't want to spend his time in a corner, he reluctantly let Clive help him with a bath. In the end, Spencer actually had fun. He played with his rubber duck and pushed the bubbles around.

Clive guided him to wash his private parts by himself and Spencer didn't notice that in the meantime Clive had washed his hair. He wasn't even able to burst into tears because of the dreaded hair wash. Neither Clive, nor Spencer knew that Hotch was observing them over the security camera.

Hotch was happy with the way Clive handled bath time. There was nothing untoward going on, and Spencer screamed a lot less than he normally did.

Spencer started to splash with water and made Clive soaking wet in the process. Clive just finished bathing him. He'd brought a change of clothes in case something like this happened.

Once Spencer was dry and dressed, he placed him on the living room floor and went to change his own clothes. "It's too bad there's no play pen to put you in. I don't like leaving you to your own devices. Stay here, I'll be right back," he told Spencer.

Clive took off his shirt and the security camera caught the scars that were on Clive's back. Hotch looked closely. What was that?

When Clive noticed that Spencer had followed him he hurried to put on a clean shirt to hide the scars from Spencer. He didn't want to upset him with it.

"Didn't I tell you to stay?" he asked Spencer.

Spencer looked guiltily down at the floor while he nodded.

"You have to listen to me. When I tell you to do something, I expect you to do it."

"But I was bored."

"And next time you disobey, you're getting a timeout. Anyway, want a bottle?"

Spencer nodded.

Clive fixed him a bottle and fed it to him before tucking him in. He sat down and studied until it was time for him to go to bed as well.

He freaked out when he noticed he'd forgotten something. He hurried to call his dad.

"Yes?" his dad answered.

"Dad. I forgot to bring... you know... with me. You know I have problems when I sleep in a strange place."

"Oh, yes. Can't you borrow one of Spencer's? I'm sure Agent Hotchner won't mind."

Clive blushed. "I don't want to wear a diaper. Please can't you just bring me some of my pull-ups...please?" he begged. To Clive pull-ups weren't diapers.

"But it's late. Clive, no one will have to know. Just put in on," his father said.

"But, Dad. Please." he whined.

"Stop whining. Just do what is necessary."

Clive pouted. "Night, Dad." He certainly didn't want to wear a diaper, so he decided to stay up and study instead. He brewed some coffee.

The next morning, Hotch came home. "Hello, Clive. You're up early," he commented.

Clive bit his lip. "Yeah, I thought I'd better study a little before Spencer wakes up."

Hotch eyed him suspiciously. "Did you sleep at all?"

Clive paled. "N-no, not really. I-I have a lot of studying to do," he lied.

Hotch merely raised an eyebrow. "I see. Has Spencer been behaving then?"

Clive let out a relieved sigh that Agent Hotchner didn't comment more on it. "Yes, he has."

"I'm glad to hear that," Hotch said. Clive then suggested that Hotch get a play pen set up in the living room. It was difficult for him to keep track of both his charges at the same time, if he had to leave the room with one of them.

Hotch nodded. "That can be arranged." He actually thought it was a good idea.

Hotch saw Clive out the door and went to get Spencer up. Hopefully, he'd have the entire weekend off.

Clive hoped that he could convince his dad that he'd actually borrowed one of Spencer's diapers and slept like a baby. He forgot all about the advice he'd given Tony yesterday about being honest.

oOo

Tony woke up early, but not as early as Gibbs. "Dad!" he called. Gibbs hurried to his son's room.

"Hey sleepyhead. Good morning." Tony hadn't been happy when he was told last night that he'd be grounded for a week after he told Gibbs about his behavior toward Clive.

Tony pouted. "But Dad...pleeease? I didn't mean to be bad yesterday."

Gibbs ruffled his hair. "You'd better think twice next time. Now let's get some breakfast."

"Okay. Up," Tony requested, reaching his arms up.

Gibbs carried Tony to the kitchen and handed him some pancakes.

Tony ate rather messily. He loved Gibbs' pancakes. "What are we doing today? I'm already bored," he whined.

"We're going to do some gardening today."

"Gardening? But that's work, I want to play instead."

"Mm, okay then. Gardening is like playing. Kinda. It can be."

Tony followed Gibbs outside and spent five minutes raking the leaves before he grew bored with it. Then he started picking up twigs.

An hour later Gibbs let him go play on the swing set.

oOo

Meanwhile, Hotch was trying to order a play pen online. Spencer looked over his shoulder, pouting.

"I don't need a play pen," Spencer whined.

"Yes, you do. You'll drive Clive crazy if he has to worry where you are constantly. You brought this on yourself, sneaking off all the time," Hotch responded, as he placed an order for a large white play pen.

Spencer wrapped his arms around himself and pouted.

Hotch knew the people who ran the site, having purchased Spencer's bed there. They were local, so they promised to deliver it later that day. "You can help put it up," he told Spencer.

Spencer huffed. "What fun that will be!" he said sarcastically.

Hotch ignored him, and went to fix lunch for them both. Spencer was finally back to chewing perfectly again, and he made him a sandwich. "Spencer, lunch is ready," he called.

Spencer came into kitchen looking not at all happy. He was still angry about the play pen.

"Sit, and stop pouting. It won't be so bad. We'll put toys in the play pen. You might even like it," Hotch said, putting Spencer's plate and sippy cup on the table.

Spencer didn't think so. He took a seat and started eating. He was happy though, when Hotch found out that there wasn't much milk left and that they needed to go to the mall. He hoped that he would be able to convince Hotch to go to the book store.

Hotch wrote a short shopping list and put a coat on Spencer. "Looks like we're going to the store," Hotch said. He put Spencer in the front seat and drove to the local super market.

"Can we go to the bookstore too?" Spencer asked hopefully.

"Yes, we can. What would you like?"

"A book about whales."

"Whales? Alright. They are fascinating animals." They went to the bookstore. Spencer looked like a child in a candy store. Which he sort of was.

They bumped into Clive and his dad. Clive was so tired. He hadn't dared to tell his dad that he hadn't slept at all last night. He paled when he noticed Hotchner. He was afraid that he would tell his dad about it.

"Hello Clive," Hotch greeted, and then nodded in his father's direction. "Don't stay up studying all night again," he said gesturing to the book in Clive's hands. If it was possible, Clive paled even more.  
His dad looked confused at Hotch and then at Clive. "You've been up all night studying? I thought you were on your way to bed when you called..." Then it hit Dr. Robertson why his son had stayed up, and he wasn't happy with his son's decision at all.

Hotch looked confused at the exchange. Maybe he'd said too much?

Dr. Robertson turned his attention to Hotch. "Nice to meet you again, Agent Hotchner. I need to talk to you about something important. Can we talk in private sometime today?"

"Of course. Come by the house later. Spencer and I will be home after we're done here."

Dr. Robertson nodded, satisfied. "Thank you." Clive had a bad feeling about this.

Hotch went to Spencer to prevent him from buying the whole store. "You found your book?"

Spencer nodded happily.

Ten minutes after they'd come home, a small delivery truck arrived. "It's here now," Hotch announced. The box was brought inside and Hotch opened it. He spent a long time figuring out how to assemble it. Spencer wished that he somehow could sabotage the play pen.

When Hotch wasn't looking Spencer hid some screws that he knew were important for assembling the play pen.

Hotch scratched his head. It seemed like something was missing. He glanced at Spencer who was playing a few feet away. He looked guilty. "Spencer. Did you do something?"

Spencer bit his lip. He shook his head, but didn't dare to look him in the eye.

"Spencer! You tell me right now what you did!"

"I-I didn't do anything," he said, and pretended to be playing.

"Spencer, I will put you over my knee..." Hotch threatened.

Spencer looked at him, shocked. "You wouldn't..."

"I would, so you'd better tell me right now!" he replied sternly. He was fed up with this.

Spencer hurried to throw the screws intp a box full of toys. Hotch would have a hard time to find them there, even if he knew they were in there. "I did nothing," he lied, not believing that Hotch would spank him for this.

Hotch hauled Spencer to his feet and smacked his backside repeatedly. Maybe he was being overly harsh, but he'd been struggling with that damn play pen for over an hour and he knew for a fact that Spencer had taken some of the parts and hidden them. "You'd better start talking, young man!" he scolded.

"Ow! Ow! B-but I-I didn't do a-anything," Spencer cried.

"Spencer, stop lying this instant! You have ten seconds to tell me or you're grounded AND you'll get a timeout."

"I-in the box with my toys! OW! Please stop!"

Hotch let him go and went to find the missing screws. He patted Spencer's head. "No more lying."Assembling a play pen was harder than Hotch had expected. It took him nearly two hours, but then it was perfect. He put a soft blanket and a few stuffed toys inside. "Look. It's not that bad, right?" he asked Spencer.

Spencer pouted. "Do you really expect me to answer that?"

Hotch picked him up and placed him inside. "Now I know where you are while I prepare dinner. Shout if you need anything," he said and turned around to leave.

Spencer pouted and wrapped his arms around himself. He felt like he was in a prison. He hated this play pen.

Hotch whistled while he prepared dinner. It actually was a relief, knowing that Spencer was safe. Spencer tried to get out, but sadly not with much success.

Hotch went to get him and put him on a chair at the dinner table. "Maybe I should get you a high chair as well. Keep track of you in the kitchen as well," Hotch joked.

"That's not funny."

Hotch ruffled his hair. "Seems my little baby is moody today."

"You would be too if you were put in a play pen prison."

"It's not a prison, Spencer. It's for your own protection. Now, eat up," Hotch instructed.

"It is a prison." Spencer kept pouting and he kept being cranky throughout dinner.

Hotch wanted to cheer him up, so he heated a bottle of milk for him, but not even a bottle could make him happy. Spencer was just in a cranky mood.

"Come on, Spencer," Hotch said, trying to put the nipple in Spencer's mouth.

Spencer reluctantly opened his mouth. Suddenly a chill went through him and he felt cold and his whole body was aching. He started to whimper.

"What's wrong?" Hotch asked alarmed, when he felt Spencer stiffen in his arms.

"I'm cold and my body hurts."

Hotch frowned. He felt Spencer's forehead. He did feel a little warm. "Come on, let's get your temperature," Hotch said worriedly. Spencer started crying.

Hotch found Spencer's thermometer. "Open up," he said. He reluctantly did.

Spencer did indeed have a fever. Hotch changed his diaper and dressed him in a sleeper. "Let's get you to bed. I think you have the flu."

"I don't want the flu," he cried.

"I think you already have it," Hotch said, carefully placing Spencer in his crib. He put a pacifier in his mouth and turned on the baby monitor. He stroked Spencer's cheek lovingly. "Shh, baby. Go to sleep. You'll feel better afterwards."

Spencer suckled on the pacifier while whimpering. It didn't take long before he fell asleep.

Hotch sighed and went into the living room. Suddenly he heard the doorbell. He opened the door. "Dr. Robertson," he greeted.

"Agent Hotchner."

Clive was behind his dad. He wasn't a happy camper at all and his butt was sore after a 'talk' with his dad. "Good evening Agent Hotchner," Clive greeted.

"Evening Clive. Everything alright?" Hotch asked, sensing that Clive was uncomfortable. He was starting to get worried.

"Nothing to worry about," Dr. Robertson said. "The thing is, Clive has something to tell you that is important for you to know when Clive has to stay overnight when babysitting your son."

Hotch led them to the couch. "Have a seat. What is it, Clive?"

Clive blushed a deep red. He looked pleadingly at his dad.

"Go ahead," his father told him.

Clive let out a sigh. "W-well, I-I have a small p-problem at n-night when I sleep in new places," Clive said while looking down to the floor. Hotch waited patiently.

Clive's dad nudged him, encouraging him to continue. "T-the thing is, I-I forgot to take something important with me yesterday before I came here... a-and I didn't w-want to borrow one f-from Spencer, so I-I stayed up all night."

"Borrow what?" Hotch asked confused.

Clive blushed once again. His dad took pity on him and continued for him. "Because of what happened to Clive when he was a child he has a problem keeping dry at night when he sleeps in unfamiliar surroundings. He called me late last night to bring him his pull-ups. I told him I was sure you wouldn't mind him borrowing a diaper from Spencer."

"You're right, I wouldn't. Clive, staying awake all night was very irresponsible," Hotch scolded.

"But I made sure to drink enough coffee to stay alert and I kept an ear on the baby monitor. And it was only one night, no harm done," he defended himself.

"I think you know that it was wrong," Hotch said.

Clive nodded sadly. "I'm sorry. I didn't want you to think I'm a baby and too immature to take care of Spencer."

"I don't think that, but you need to take care of yourself in order for you to take care of Spencer. Promise me it won't happen again."

"I promise, Sir."

"Good. Now Spencer seems to have the flu. I'm hoping it'll be over by Monday," Hotch told them.

Clive looked up and forgot all about his own problems. "Poor Spencer. Can he never get a break?"

"Apparently not. He started getting sick after dinner. We got a play pen today, by the way."

"I don't hope the flu will be too bad on him, and I'm happy you took my advice about the play pen."

"Yes, it seemed like a good idea. Spencer is not happy. I hope to see you Monday," Hotch told him.

"I can imagine. I hope so too."  
"Well, we'd better get home- you'll probably have a long night ahead of you if Spencer's flu gets worse. And Clive needs to get to bed himself."  
Clive just rolled his eyes.

Hotch nodded. He followed them to the door, and had barely closed it behind them when he heard Spencer crying. He hurried to the nursery. "What is it, baby?" he asked. He didn't need to hear the answer, as he could smell it.

Hotch picked him up and placed him on the changing table. "It's okay, baby. We'll get you cleaned up."

Spencer just sobbed. Hotch cleaned him quickly and efficiently, and put a clean diaper on him. "All over now, little one," Hotch told him picking him up. "Want to sleep in Daddy's room tonight?"

Spencer nodded. Hotch tucked him in and went to sleep next to him, holding him.


	31. Chapter 31

It had been a long and hard night for Hotch and Spencer. Spencer's flu had gotten worse, both with diarrhea and vomiting. Hotch had barely slept at all. The only good thing was that Spencer's fever was not as high anymore. Hotch bathed him and placed him on the living room couch. "Can you eat anything?"

Spencer winced at the thought and he shook his head.

Hotch put some water in a bottle. Spencer really needed liquids, as he'd been throwing up a lot. He went back to the living room and crouched down next to Spencer. "Try to drink a little. Here," he told him.

Spencer whimpered. He was afraid to drink anything, fearing he might throw up again.

"Just a little," Hotch said, putting the nipple in Spencer's mouth.

Spencer started to suckle slowly.

Hotch took away the bottle after a few mouthfuls. "See if you can keep that down," he said.

Spencer nodded and yawned.

Hotch let him nap until lunch time. Then he tried to feed him some crackers. Spencer ate the crackers slowly and was happy he could keep them down.

It seemed the fever was almost gone and Hotch sat down holding Spencer. "You'll feel better again soon," he promised.

"But when?" Spencer whined; to him it seemed it would never end.

"Soon," Hotch repeated, rubbing his back.

Spencer fell back to sleep. His body was so exhausted. He slept most of the day. Hopefully he would be better with plenty of rest, Hotch reasoned.

The next day Spencer was much better. Apparently it had just been a one-day type of thing, for which they were both grateful.

And Spencer was back to being a trouble magnet once more. "Spencer, put that down!" Hotch said exasperatedly.

"But I wanna play with it," Spencer whined.

Hotch took the crystal vase from Spencer and put it back on its shelf. "It's not a toy. That vase is very old and besides, if you break it you could cut yourself on the shards. Don't take Daddy's things without asking first," he scolded.

Spencer pouted; he was so bored.

"Why don't you draw me a picture," Hotch suggested.

Spencer thought about it for a moment and then he nodded. Why not? he thought. Then he remembered that he needed to ask Clive and Tony to help him make a gift to give his daddy on the day he was going to be adopted, which was only a week away.

Hotch read a book as Spencer drew, and then his phone rang.

Hotch answered it. "Yes?"

"Dr. Norman here. I have some good news."

"You do?" Hotch asked.

"Well, I hope you see it as good news too. I'm starting a new clinic in Quantico, and Diana's guardian has agreed to let her be transferred to my clinic. Furthermore, Diana started on a new combination of medication which looks very promising."

"That's wonderful. I'm sure Spencer will be thrilled to have his mother nearby. When are you moving?"

"By the end of next week."

"That soon? That's good, Spencer and I will come to visit once you've settled in," Hotch said.

"That sounds good. I'll call as soon as we're settled in."

"We will also have a small party next weekend, to celebrate the adoption. I would like it if Diana and you could both be there. It would mean a lot to Spencer as well," Hotch told him.

"If Diana is still doing good with her new medication we will most definitely be there."

"That's great. We'll talk again next week."

"Yes, we will. Have a nice weekend."

"You too," Hotch said and hung up. He immediately told Spencer about Dr. Norman's new clinic.

Spencer threw his arms in the air while he yelled, "YES!"

Hotch smiled at him. "Now your Mommy will be nearby all the time."

Spencer smiled brightly. "Then I'll have all my family close by." But suddenly the expression on his face turned sad. "Almost all family members," he said sadly.

"What do you mean?" Hotch asked.

"Gideon. I wish he'd come back soon," Spencer said sadly.

Hotch's smile stiffened. "Well, yes, I..."

He'd never forgiven Gideon for leaving.

"But I'm happy you didn't leave me, Daddy. Please don't ever leave me."

"I'll never leave you. Ever. You're not getting rid of me," Hotch said, playfully cuddling him. Spencer smiled brightly.

Hotch took Spencer for a walk to the park, feeding the ducks. Spencer really liked that.

Spencer could spend hours just watching the ducks.

oOo

The following Monday, Tony was bugging Gibbs to get to Spencer's place as fast as possible. Since he was grounded, being babysat by Clive was about as much fun as he could have. "Come on, DAD! Spencer is waiting!"

"Chill, why don't ya? We'll be there soon."

Tony was bouncing in his seat and Gibbs chuckled.

When they arrived, Spencer had apparently been waiting for them at the window. "Spencer!" Tony exclaimed.

"Tony!" As Hotch had already gone to work, he could ask Tony about helping him make a surprise gift for his dad.

"I hope you can help me with something today, Tony."

"Yeah, what's that?"

"A surprise gift for my dad, for the day he adopts me."

"Cool, that's a great idea! What should we make?"

"That's the thing I need help with. I don't have a clue," Spencer said sadly.

oOo

On the other end of the security camera, Garcia made sure that Hotch wouldn't hear what the boys were planning, and in the future she would erase the scenes where the boys were making the gift. She didn't want the cameras to spoil the surprise Spencer had planned. And she decided to make sure that Hotch would also plan a surprise for Spencer. 

oOo

"We could buy him a new gun," Tony suggested.

Spencer frowned. "No, I don't think Daddy would be too happy about me buying a gun. It must be something that I make with my hands."

Tony frowned. He was probably right. "You could draw him a picture. My dad seems to like that," Tony suggested.

"My dad does too, but I need to do more than that."

"I have an idea what you could make," Clive said.

They both looked expectantly at him.

"You could make something out of cernit - its like clay, but in colors and you can bake it in a normal oven, though I'll need to be the one to handle the oven. We could go buy the cernit today if you want."

Tony nodded, impressed and Spencer smiled brightly. "That's a great idea!"

Clive thought it would be good therapy for Spencer; this way he'd train his motor skills.

"Can we go now?" Tony asked.

"Yes, we can," Clive said. Gibbs had already left again.

"Are we driving?" Tony asked.

"Yes, we are. Luckily, I have my car with me today."

"Okay," Tony said, and put his coat back on.

Clive was happy that Gibbs and Hotch had given him some money for occasions like this. That way he had the money for what they needed to buy. But even if they hadn't given him the money, he would have used his own money for it.

"This is cool," Tony said looking at the different colors once they'd arrived at the shop. "I could make a shark, perhaps," he mused.

"Yes, you could," Clive said.  
"Yes, and I have a book about sharks that you can use as inspiration," Spencer added happily.

"Cool. What do you want to make then?"

"I think I'll make a whale. One from the book I got a few days ago."

"Great," Tony said.

"I could take some photos with you feeding the ducks later this afternoon and I could help you make a frame out of cernit with whales and stuff on it." Clive was a hobby photographer, and he always brought his photo equipment with him.

"YES!" Spencer yelled happily. "Then he can keep the picture in his office," he continued happily.

"Wow, he'll really like that," Tony agreed.

"I think so. I could help you make one for Gibbs as well, if you want? As I recall, it's soon his birthday," Clive said.

"It is," Tony confirmed happily. "In two weeks."

"Good, then let's go pay for the stuff and get back to the Hotchner place and get to work."

Tony nodded and took Spencer's hand. "Come on."

Clive payed for the things, and then they went back to Hotch's house. He made sure that Spencer and Tony washed their hands really well, while explaining that it was important to do so or the dirt would get in the cernit and ruin it.

Tony squinted at the picture of the shark in Spencer's book. He tried hard to make something that looked like it. His shark turned out a bit chubby.

"You're doing good Tony. It doesn't need to look completely like a shark. This is art, and you as an artist have what we call artistic freedom."

"Okay," Tony said, and gave his shark the finishing touches.

Clive was taking photos of the boys working. Spencer was working happily on his whale and when that was done, he was going to make the frame Clive wanted to help him with. 

oOo

Garcia was busy convincing Hotch that there were some technical difficulties and that was why he couldn't see what Spencer was up to at home.

"I'm driving home then," Hotch said in frustration.

"No! No. Spencer is fine, trust me. I'd just seen him happily playing with his Legos when the screen went puff," she lied.

Hotch eyed her suspiciously. "If you can't fix it, tell me and I'll go see him during the lunch break."

"... O-okay. I'll work hard to get it back to functioning."

"You do that," Hotch said and left her office.

She really hoped that they would be done with the surprise soon. At least before Hotch decided to go home and ruin the surprise.

oOo

Soon they were done and Clive put their art pieces into the oven.

Both Tony and Spencer waited excitedly for it to get done. It seemed like they thought that when they looked into the oven it would be quicker to get baked.

"I think it's growing in there," Tony said, staring at his shark.

"It doesn't grow actually. It stays the same," Clive informed them.

Tony eyed the shark suspiciously. Maybe it would get huge and eat him. "Sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure." When it was finally done Clive put the things in cold water to cool down.

They looked at the finished products. "Wow, so cool," Tony said.

Clive smiled. After a few minutes he got them out of the water and on a cloth to dry.

"Now it needs to dry and while it does, we're having lunch and then a nap."

"But I'm not tired," Tony said.

"Tony! Remember what happened the last time?" Clive warned firmly.

Tony pouted. He did.

Spencer rubbed his eyes. Being an artist was really tiring.

They ate lunch, and afterwards Tony was so tired that he willingly took a nap.

oOo

When Garcia saw the boys sleeping peacefully she called Hotch and told him she'd fixed the problem. Hotch watched the feed and smiled. Clive was putting a pacifier in Spencer's mouth and then he tucked the covers around Tony.

"See, the boys are fine. No need to worry, Boss-man." She so wished she could show him the clip of Clive helping them to sculpt things.

Hotch nodded. Now he could go back to work and actually concentrate, knowing Spencer was safe.

oOo

After their naps they took a look at their handiwork before going to the park.

"They're nice," Tony commented.

"Yes, they are. I can't wait to give mine to Daddy," Spencer said proudly.

"Me neither," Tony agreed. Clive helped them put on their coats and then they headed to the park.

Clive took photos of the boys while they fed the ducks. And of a duck that ate from Tony and Spencer's hands, both boys smiling brightly. He used his best camera for it.

Tony touched Spencer's arm. "Tag! You're it!" he shouted and ran. He made his way through some bushes.

"Tony! Run where I can see you!" Clive warned. "And you too Spencer!" he said, when he noticed him running after Tony. He hurried in the same direction, hoping to catch the boys before he lost them.

Tony was about to go back, but then he heard a sound. He turned around. "Did you hear that Spencer?"

Spencer nodded.

"Come on," Tony said and walked cautiously toward the sound.

Spencer gasped when he saw the hurt little kitten. "Aww, poor kitty."

A tiny black kitten was sitting under one of the bushes. It was really skinny and disheveled-looking. "Oh," Tony breathed.

Clive caught them. "I told you to stay where I could see you!" he scolded, not yet noticing the kitten.

"But, Clive..." Tony said, gesturing to the bush.

Clive looked the way Tony gestured. "Oh, that poor kitten. We'd better bring him or her with us. Hopefully we can nurse it back to health. Do you want to help me?" he asked the boys.

They both nodded. Spencer scooped up the tiny animal. It looked rather pitiful.

"We'd better get it to a vet first."

Tony nodded in agreement. The poor kitty looked hungry and sickly and not old enough to be away from its mommy yet.

At the vet the doc did what he could do and now it was up to the kitty and to Clive and the boys to nurse it back to health. The vet gave instructions on the best way to help the kitten and made sure that they would get a new appointment for a check-up.

The vet had told them that the kitten was a girl. Spencer wouldn't let her go, and Tony helped him pet her. "She's so tiny," he said.

"Yes, and you need to feed her regularly and give her lot's of TLC," the vet said.

Both boys nodded seriously. "Where will she live?" Tony asked.

"At my place!" Spencer said.

"You think your Daddy will let you keep her?"

"If he doesn't, I will take care of her," Clive said.

They all went back home. Hotch came back from work an hour later and found his son playing with a particularly ugly kitten on his living room floor. "What's this?"

"We found her in the park, Daddy! Can I keep her... please?"

"I...Spencer, you know I work a lot. An animal is a huge responsibility...and, well are you even sure that kitten is not flea-infested?" he said distastefully.

"Please, Daddy!" Spencer pleaded while looking at him with puppy-dog-eyes. "And the vet said she wasn't flea-infested and he gave her a vaccine in the a... backside."

As Spencer's huge eyes welled with tears, Hotch felt his resolve crumbling. Apparently, his son had already become very attached to the little fleabag. "Spencer..."

"Please, Daddy."

"I...alright. But you have to help look after it."

"I will! I will! I promise!" Spencer said happily.

"And I will help when I babysit. I don't mind babysitting a kitten too," Clive said.

"Good," Hotch replied, and took a closer look at the kitten. It rubbed its face against his hand. From this angle, it wasn't as foul-looking. At least as long as he didn't look directly at it.

"She needs lots of comfort and food, and I'm sure she's going to be a healthy and lovely cat," Clive said to Hotch.

"Yes," Hotch replied. He couldn't help smiling when the tiny thing purred like an engine.

"What will you name her, Spencer?" Clive asked him.

"Isolde! From the story Tristan and Isolde. My mommy loves that story."

"Of course," Hotch smiled. "I guess we'll have to buy a few things for Isolde then."

"Yes!" Spencer said happily.

They managed to spend an entire hour at the mall. Hotch carried out a heap of cat related items: food bowls, toys, cat food, catnip, scratching post, a collar with a nametag and a bed with a soft blanket with paw print.

Clive and Tony went with them, as Gibbs hadn't picked Tony up yet. Clive was happy that he'd been able to hide Spencer's surprise before Hotch showed up.

As Hotch watched Spencer interact with the kitten, he realized that this was actually good for Spencer. He was very gentle and caring with the kitten.

Gibbs came to pick up Tony. "What's that thing?" he asked when he saw the kitten.

"That's Isolde! She's not a thing, she's a kitten. Hotch is letting Spencer keep her."

Gibbs was relieved that Tony didn't expect to take the kitten home with them. "Well, hello Isolde," Gibbs said politely, mostly for Spencer's sake, as he seemed very proud of his new kitten. Spencer beamed.

"We saved her," Tony said.

"You did? That's good - we need to be nice to animals and treat them right."

Tony nodded. "Take good care of her," he told Spencer.

Spencer nodded. "I will. Bye Tony. See you tomorrow."

"Bye." Gibbs and Tony left.

Clive thought he'd better go home and work on the pictures he took of the boys."I'd better get home, if you don't need me more today that is."

"Oh, of course. No, we're quite fine. See you tomorrow," Hotch said.

Clive said his goodbyes and went home to work on the photos and study, as he hadn't been able to study yet today.

The kitten slept in the nursery that night, Spencer watching it like a worried parent, until he fell asleep himself.


	32. Chapter 32

**Here the last one! Thanks to everyone who read and/or reviewed :****)**

Hotch was running around the house trying to get everything ready for the guests. Today he had officially adopted Spencer. The thought made him warm inside.

Spencer was sweating because it was very hot today. "Can Tony, Clive and I play with the sprinklers today?" he asked hopefully. Clive and his dad were also invited to the party.

"Yes, but not in your new clothes," Hotch told him.

"Can I use my new swim trunks then?"

"Yes, but don't get too cold."

"Okay. Can I call Tony and Clive to tell them that they need to bring their swim trunks with them?"

"Sure, go ahead." Hotch put cupcakes on a tray. They'd been decorated with pink icing on Spencer's request. Isolde's fur had been brushed by Spencer for the occasion as well.

Spencer hurried to call Tony and then Clive. Spencer went back to his dad. "Tony can't wait. Clive, though, wasn't so happy that I want him to jump through the sprinklers too. He's claiming he doesn't have swim trunks. I told him he could do it naked... I wonder why he loudly said no," Spencer wondered.

"Naked?" Hotch asked alarmed. "What would the neighbors think?"

"That's just what Clive said too," Spencer pouted.

Hotch chuckled. "Cupcake?" he offered.

Spencer smiled brightly. "Yes, please."

Hotch handed him a cupcake. "Don't get your clothes dirty."

"I'll try not to."

Spencer managed only to get icing on his hands and face. Hotch cleaned him with a cloth.

As soon as the guest had arrived Spencer gave Hotch the gift, as he couldn't wait any longer. "Open it! Open it, Daddy! I made it all by myself!" Spencer encouraged.

Hotch opened the present and smiled softly as he saw the picture of Spencer and Tony feeding the ducks. "Did you make the frame yourself? And the whale?" he questioned, examining said items.

"Yes, I did... well I did get a little help from Clive. He took the photo. Isn't he a great photographer?"

"Very," Hotch said. He was very touched and pulled Spencer into a hug. "I'm so proud of you baby. Son. Thank you very much, they are very nice."

Spencer smiled happily. He wondered if his dad had a surprise for him too.

Hotch went to the bedroom and got a big gift. "Here," he said, smiling at Spencer.

Spencer looked excitedly at the gift. "What is it? What is it?"

"Well, open it," Hotch said.

Spencer ripped off the wrapping and looked wide eyed at the contents. Spencer stood up at hugged his dad for dear life. "Thank you so much Daddy!"

"We can assemble it together," Hotch said, hugging him back. It was a model spaceship and the complete original Star Trek series as well as the new movie on blueray.

"Yes that would be awesome! Thank you so much for the gift. I love it. It's the best gift ever!"

"You're welcome," Hotch said. "You're spoiling the boy," Dr. Norman commented. Hotch shrugged.

And look who was talking - Dr. Norman wasn't any better. He gave Spencer first editions of the Harry Potter books.

Spencer beamed happily. "Thank you Dr. Norman."

Diana gave him a teddy bear she'd knitted herself.

Spencer hugged her. "Thank you so much Mommy. I love it!"

"You're welcome, Sweetie. I'm so happy for you," Diana said, kissing his cheeks one by one.

Spencer got a lot of toys. Clive gave him more cernit and tools for it and he gave Hotch a photo album with photos he'd taken while babysitting the boys. A lot of them were of Spencer taking care of his kitten and feeding her with a bottle they'd bought specifically for Isolde.

Hotch thanked him many times.

"You're welcome," Clive said, smiling.

After the meal the boys were happily jumping through the sprinkler. "Come on Clive, join us!"

"Oh, no thank you boys," Clive declined. He didn't want them to see his scars. "My skin is very sensitive. I get sunburns very easily," he explained.

"Go on, son. You can just keep your t-shirt on so they won't see your scars," his dad whispered into his ear.

Clive nodded and went to change. He joined the boys. They played happily for an hour and then Hotch told them it was enough for today.

"Ah, but Daaad," Spencer whined.

"Enough, you'll catch a cold. Come on inside. I'll warm some milk for you and Tony."

Spencer pouted, but went inside. Clive went inside too, to change. In the bathroom he changed but then noticed he'd forgotten to bring a dry shirt with him to the bathroom. He hoped that no one would see him when he went outside the bathroom only wearing pants. He got the shock of his life when Hotch suddenly appeared. "A-agent H-Hotchner. H-how long have y-you b-been here?" he asked worriedly.

Hotch eyed him with concern. "Long enough."

Clive gulped. "Neither Tony, nor your son has ever seen my scars. I promise! I will never show them; they'd just freak out! Please don't tell them I have these ugly scars! Please."

"Relax Clive, I won't tell them. It's nothing to be ashamed of though, and Spencer and Tony wouldn't be freaked out," Hotch told him.

Clive let out a relieved sigh. "Good. Let's just forget about it. Okay?"

"If that's what you want. If you need to talk, I'm always here, alright?"

Clive nodded. "Thanks. It happened long ago, before my dad adopted me."

"I gathered," Hotch replied.

"Well, I got lucky just like Spencer did, to get an awesome dad."

Hotch smiled. "I'm happy for you."

Clive smiled and hurried to put on a dry shirt when he could hear more people heading his way.

Tony and Spencer had both had their bottles and needed a nap. Spencer was looking tiredly from Clive to Hotch.

"Looks like the boys need a nap," Clive said.

Hotch picked Spencer up. "In that case I am going to tuck in my son," he said and carried Spencer to the nursery.

Clive looked over at Gibbs to see if it was okay that he tucked Tony in. Gibbs nodded and Clive carried Tony to the nursery.

"Peace at last," Hotch joked when the boys were finally asleep.

The guests nodded with a smile. A while later Abby paled and she elbowed Emily. "We forgot to tell Gibbs and Hotch about what the nuns told us last time we had a party here!"

"Oh, right," Prentiss said, smacking her own forehead.

Gibbs and Hotch looked suspiciously at them. "What did your friends aka the nuns tell you?" Gibbs asked Abby.

Abby explained what they'd said.

Gibbs looked questioningly at Hotch. To him it sounded like a good idea. He just hoped it wouldn't turn out to be a fiasco like all the other times doctors and therapists had told him they could help Tony. They had both been disappointed too many times. He didn't want to give Tony false hope yet again.

"It's worth a shot," Hotch said.

Gibbs nodded. If Hotch would try it, then he would too. "Okay. Let's see what they can do for them. Hope they really can help."

Gibbs gave Abby a mild slap on the back of her head.

"Ooooww, Gibbs!"

"That's for not telling us sooner."'

"Sorry...we forgot. I'll give you their number," Abby said, hanging her head.

oOo

The boys did attend the program and it was a success. They got more and more of their independency back. About a year later they were almost completely back to normal.

Hotch and Gibbs had told the boys to come into the living room at Gibbs' place. "We've decided that you both can come back to work in two weeks. Only part time though," Hotch said. Tony's eyes widened. "Cool!" He'd missed work, and his colleagues, and he really felt like he was up to it now.

Spencer was almost jumping with excitement that he'd soon be able to go back to work. He missed working with his team. "I can't wait!"

Hotch and Gibbs were both happy for them. Maybe everything would be back to the way it was before. But not really. Bonds had been created that would never be broken and memories had been made that would always stay with them. Hotch was a little sad in the same way that a parent is sad on their child's first day of school. Just the usual 'my baby is growing up' blues that every parent felt, but at the same time he was also thrilled that Spencer was getting better and growing as a person under his watchful eye.

While they'd been in the program Clive had kept being their babysitter, but the need for a babysitter had gotten lesser and lesser. By the time they didn't need a babysitter anymore, Clive had graduated and had become a therapist. He'd been happy when the boys and their parents had come to his graduation. And at the graduation Dr. Norman had told him that he'd have a job at his clinic if he wanted it. Clive was thrilled, and he really wanted the job.

Tony was ecstatic when he got to annoy McGeek on his first day back. This was just like old times.

Gibbs had really missed Tony at work and he was happy he had him back. Now he had him as a son and as a colleague. Life was great.

At the BAU Spencer was back to rambling; it almost seemed like old times.

Hotch sighed and smiled as he watched Morgan's eyes begin to droop as Spencer lectured him. Everything was back to normal, and not back to normal at all. He had become a father over the past year.

The End

**(Stay tuned for Bad Boys Vol. 2, coming soon!)**


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